Web of Lies
by Loopstagirl
Summary: They thought they had left the nightmare behind. But when Merlin starts acting oddly, they come to the realisation that the cave was only the beginning. Sequel to Web of Fear.
1. Chapter 1

**Dun dun dun... what is this, I hear you say? Over a year later and I actually get around to posting the sequel? Shock horror, I know!**

**In order to understand what on earth is going on, you NEED to have read Web of Fear. Well you don't have too, but you won't have a clue otherwise and will get very lost, because I'm not explaining it, that's what the first story is for! This is kind of set very early on still. Basically, Morgana is good, Gwen and Arthur haven't developed feelings for each other yet. The first story was set just after episode 4 of series one, and this is supposed to be about six weeks after that, so we are still in series 1 characters!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything! Apart from the bad guy! He is alllll mine! Mwhaha!**

**A huge thank you to MerlinStar for once again being an amazing beta, thank you so much!**

**ENJOY!**

Feeling suddenly nervous, Merlin ran his tongue over the dry roof of his mouth. What had he to be nervous about? This was it, the day he had been waiting for, for almost _six_ weeks. The day he could return to work, the day the world returned to normality. Six weeks he had spent being cooped up in bed, with Gaius and his mother fussing around him non stop. At first, it was alright. He had spent the first few weeks in a state of semi-consciousness, the fever racking his body as the burn on his chest began the slow stages of recovery. Then it had been rather enjoyable, watching other people fuss around him whilst he just got to lie there. Arthur had even sworn his former servant had put on weight; the rest and the regular meals had certainly done wonders for the boy. But then it just got boring. There was only so long Merlin could spend lying in a bed, and when Arthur had ridden out after some sorcerer, he felt like he was going mad! How could he protect his destiny when he was stuck in bed?

So after much pleading and whining to Gaius, the servant had been allowed his job back again, despite the physician's warnings that it was too early and if he wasn't careful, he would just make his chest worse. But Merlin didn't care. He had risen early for once, a strange sense of excitement and nerves making his blood pound and causing the light sleeper to be disturbed from the fitful dreams that now seemed to plague him every night. He suspected they were also a reason Gaius had been prepared to allow him to return to work. With any luck, the hustle of the day would mean the nightmares would begin to be driven away. So here it was, the day things returned to normal.

Swallowing hard, Merlin raised his fist, noting with mild amusement that it was trembling slightly, and crashed it down hard on Arthur's wooden door, hearing the noise bounce around the room within before a voice bid him to enter.

The prince was already up and dressed, sitting at his table with a commanding presence whilst a young servant served him his breakfast.

"Ah, Merlin. You're late." The prince's voice was detached and almost cold, causing Merlin to start in surprise and glance at the prince in worry. Arthur didn't seem sure of whether to look at him or not, and opted for carrying on eating his breakfast.

"You may go, Timothy," he added to the boy in front of him, who hastily bowed and retreated. He didn't seem at all sorry to be going.

"Sire?" Merlin asked hesitantly, no longer sure of his position. Things had been different between them lately, a friendship truly beginning to blossom. But now Merlin was once more officially the Crown Prince's manservant, the two boys didn't know how to act around one another.

"My armour needs polishing, Merlin," Arthur ordered, pushing his food aside and climbing to his feet. Grabbing his sword off the table from where it was strewn, the prince made to stride out of the room.

"You forgot the other one," Merlin called with a small smile, the second sword a reminder of all that had taken place. Turning on his heel, Arthur almost snatched the weapon from his servant's hand and continued out of the door, not looking back. Surprised at his master's abrupt departure, Merlin hadn't moved when a soft call floated back through the open door.

"Good to have you back, Merlin. I was beginning to get bored."

"Good to be back, I _was _bored."

"Polish my armour."

"Yes, Sire."

With that, Arthur was gone, but Merlin was feeling far happier. It was clear the prince was as uncomfortable about their new bond as Merlin was, he clearly didn't know how he was supposed to treat his servant. What was one to do when said servant had been through hell and back trying to protect the prince and had since spent the last six weeks practically fighting for their life? It was going to take some adjusting for both of them.

Picking up the armour, Merlin settled himself against the bed, the position more comfortable than he previously remembered. Slowly beginning the mundane task, Merlin let his mind drift over everything as he steadily turned the dull metal back to its shiny potential. Arthur had either become lazy of late, or he had been reluctant to give his new servant any of the chores he normally saved for Merlin, but either way, the armour was a wreck.

With his legs casually stretched out in front of him and the armour resting on the floor in-between them, Merlin felt himself fall into a stupor as the rhythmic sound of the pad on the metal lulled him out of consciousness. It may have only been his first day back, but the warlock was already tired. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep in ages, Claton plaguing his mind as he tried to relax. Not realising his eyes were drifting shut, Merlin continued in an automatic notion. Up and down, up and down. The rag continued on its journey as the hand guiding it moved smoothly, regardless of the fact that Merlin was no longer aware of his surroundings.

Instead, he was somewhere else entirely. The cold penetrated him and the dark made it hard to see far. He could feel it though, feel the evilness oozing out of the cave walls around him. He could still hear the low moan echoing through the maze, bouncing off the walls and multiplying in volume. Knowing what he was about to find, the warlock frantically tried to change direction, but his feet refused to obey him, instead continuing on the journey over the unstable ground.

Ignoring the pull of magic leading him on, the warlock struggled, trying to force himself back into reality. Part of him knew this was only a dream, but that still didn't make it any easier. It was as if he were both conscious and dreaming at the same time. There was still a part of him happily cleaning away at the armour, but the rest of him refused to return to reality. There. His feet had lead him into the cave, his eyes involuntarily drawn towards the centre. Lying in the pool of blood, same as always, Arthur reached pitifully towards his servant, though whether asking for help or trying to warn him, Merlin knew not. He only had eyes for the weapon embedded in his master's chest as his enemy stood mockingly over the former prince.

"Merlin?"

That voice. The hated voice resonating from the man. If there was to be a definition of evil, it would be him. Claton. The bringer of nightmares.

"Calling, Merlin?"

No. Something was different. The voice was changing. It was no longer one dripping in hate, but in hidden concern. Squeezing his eyes tight, Merlin forced himself to leave the cave. When he opened them again, he was met with the penetrating blue of Arthur's eyes, crouched over him hesitantly.

"You okay?" the prince asked, somewhat gruffly. If the truth be told, Arthur was shaken. He had returned from addressing his knights to find Merlin polishing his armour. That alone would have normally been enough to surprise the prince, his servant actually_ doing_ what he was told for once, but then he had taken another look at the boy. His eyes had consisted of this far away look Arthur couldn't describe. He was still cleaning the armour, but was quite obviously not really _there. _Three times Arthur had tried to address his servant before Merlin had snapped back to reality.

"What?" Merlin asked blankly, as if he had no idea what he had just put his prince through.

"I said-, never mind. Can you go and collect the laundry from wherever Timothy has left it?"

"You're asking me?" Merlin voiced, the surprise clear in his tone. Just as the corners of his mouth began turning up in the beginning of the first smile Arthur had seen him wear for a considerable amount of time, the prince shook his head.

"No, I'm telling you. Go."

"Alright, alright," Grumbling to himself as he awkwardly climbed to his feet, trying to avoid standing on the sharp edges of the now sparkling armour, Merlin missed Arthur's smile. Some things were never going to change. Almost tripping over the shield lying precariously in the middle of the floor, Merlin left the prince's chambers, not aware of the burning stare on his back. Biting his lip in anxiety, Arthur stared after his friend. Maybe this was too early for him to be back? After all, what he had gone through? The prince wasn't sure whether the best of his knights could cope with an ordeal like that and not break from it. Hell, Arthur wasn't sure whether he himself could survive being put through all Merlin had. And yet, he was still the same clumsy idiot as ever, if it wasn't for that look in his eye.

Before the prince could ponder any more, the patter of footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor through the door Merlin had managed to leave open, and paused just outside. Striding across the room, Arthur pulled the door fully open, revealing a stunned Gaius beyond, his fist still raised, ready to knock.

"Er… I… Sire?" Caught unawares, Gaius couldn't quite find the words he was looking for.

"Gaius?" Arthur responded, sounding amused. It was the same whenever he caught one of his knights unaware, especially if they were up to something they knew their prince would not approve of. They simply could not find their way around words, something Merlin always had to comment on, especially considering Arthur was more than used to people being speechless in his presence. He had an aura of power no one else seemed to possess, not even Uther. Maybe it was because he was prince, but there was something about Arthur that not only demanded respect, but earned it as well. People looked up to him as a man as well as a prince. Something else Merlin always seemed to be able to comment on. Come to think of it, Arthur wasn't sure if there was anything his servant _didn't _comment on.

His train of thought causing him to softly smile, Arthur turned his attention back to the flustered physician standing in his doorway.

"Is there something I can help you with, Gaius?"

"I was just…"

"Wondering how Merlin was?" the prince supplied, already having guessed the reason for Gaius' unexpected call. At the nod, he sighed. It seemed he wasn't the only one concerned about Merlin's return to his duties. Without quite knowing why, Arthur lied to the man he trusted more than anyone.

"He is fine, Gaius. He has gone to collect something for me, but I can assure you that he is fine."

"Keep an eye on him for me, Sire?" Gaius asked quietly, hastily bowing and making his exit before Arthur could respond. The prince had looked slightly taken aback by Gaius's request, as if the obvious display of affection was not something he was used to. Watching the old man's retreating back with a frown, Arthur bit his lip, wondering if he had done the right thing. It was clear Merlin was far from fine, but Arthur could understand his need for returning to work. He knew what it was like to be cooped up inside for weeks on end and the increasingly desperate need for freedom. A memory the entire castle was anxious to forget sprung unbidden into Arthur's mind, the time a few years ago he had broken his arm in a hunting accident. He was still surprised the castle had been left standing after those six weeks, the prince had never been so _bored _in his entire life. He had changed to so much since then. No. Merlin had changed him so much since then, with his constant challenging of things the prince had always taken for granted. Shutting the door softly, Arthur turned back to face his room, noting with some satisfaction just how clean the armour was. He may always moan about Merlin, but the servant really knew how to do his jobs properly and _still_ have the time to talk back. Merlin hadn't been the only one getting bored over the last few weeks; Timothy's constant agreeing to everything Arthur said was really beginning to get on the prince's nerves.

"Don't hurt yourself." The voice came out of nowhere, making Arthur jump. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed his manservant return. Spinning to face the door, the black haired boy grinned goofily back, his arms full of laundry. Unceremoniously dumping the pile on the unmade bed, Merlin looked towards his master, eyebrows raised. Almost squirming under the penetrating stare, Arthur glanced away.

"What?" he asked eventually, being able to feel that Merlin was still watching him, even if the prince had turned away to avoid the piercing blue.

"You were thinking." Despite himself, Arthur had to laugh. He had been stuck with boot licking servants for too long.

"Is that such a crime?" Turning away to hide his grin, Arthur didn't notice the far away look return to Merlin's eyes, the bright blue misting over and almost looking grey. For a moment, nothing happened, and then the servant shook his head furiously, as if trying to rid himself of an annoying noise.

"It sounds painful." The grin disappeared off Arthur's face as quickly as it had arrived and he spun to face his servant, his frown showing the only concern he was going to portray. It wasn't the insult, he needed them more than he would admit to keep him sane, it was Merlin's voice. It was almost as if it wasn't his voice at all, sounding far darker and frankly threatening than the clumsy servant was capable of. But Arthur knew different. He had seen how the boy had gone up against deadly sorcerers and barely flinched as he had been tortured in front of Arthur. How he had turned the sorcerer's threats against him, eventually helping them defeat the monster. Merlin was more than capable of sounding threatening, that much was certain. But why now?

"You alright?" Arthur asked again, wincing inside as he realised this was the second time already he had asked the boy that. Maybe he shouldn't have been so hasty in covering for Merlin against Gaius.

"Yeah, why?" Merlin responded, looking taken aback at Arthur's change in tone. It was as if, once again, he had not realised the changes taking place.

"You actually came up with a half decent insult," the prince invented quickly, determined that if Merlin was not going to tell him anything, he was not going to pry. By the tone of the servant's voice, he had no inclination of what was happening. Knowing he would deny it even if he _wasn't _alright, Arthur decided to leave it at that.

"Anyway, _Mer_lin. You're right. I have been thinking-,"

"Ouch."

"Shut up. Anyway, after, you know, what happened, it's about time you learnt to defend yourself."

"No, Arthur please-,"

"Shut _up_ Merlin. Meet me on the training ground in half an hour." Without looking at his servant, Arthur knew from experience he would be pouting. It wasn't as if the boy was being asked to help the prince train this time. It was something Arthur had been considering for a while, and after consulting Gaius about it before Merlin's return, the two had decided it would make sense if Merlin could at least hold a sword without the threat of chopping his own arm off. Especially as the stubborn fool always insisted on riding into danger with the Knights, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Go back to Gaius and get the training shirt he gave you last time, it should stop the armour rubbing. Then go straight down to the field, Merlin. And don't try and avoid it either, I'll just hit you harder."

"Well that's a good incentive," Merlin grumbled, heading towards the door. He had only been back a matter of hours and already was being subjected to this. It _so_ wasn't fair. Stomping his way down the corridor, Merlin paused just as he reached the door granting him access to the physician's chambers within. Knowing his mother would still most likely be there unless she was once again helping Gaius – and there was even the possibility of the physician himself still being there – Merlin took a moment to collect himself. No doubt he was about to get bombarded with questions about why he was back already and whether he was alright. He had hoped being back at work would stop that particular question, but if anything, it was worse. It seemed to be the only thing he was hearing these days.

**So... *holds breath* What did you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed on this, or put it on alert/favourite, it really means a lot!**

**Another huge thank you to MerlinStar for beta-ing - round of applause for her please everyone!**

Pushing the door open, Merlin held his breath as he tiptoed into the workshop. He really wasn't in the mood to be fussed over again; he just wanted things to go back to normal. He had made it halfway to the stairs when his foot caught on an exposed mop and sent it crashing to the floor, pulling a bucket of water over with it and soaking the warlock's shoes.

"You were quiet, sweetheart," Hunith immediately appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down at her son with concern shining in her bright eyes.

"Why are you back? Do you need a rest?"

"No, I'm-,"

"Do you want me to send for Gaius?"

"Honestly, it's-,"

"Or another dose of that tonic, perhaps? That always seemed to help."

"Mother!" Merlin cried, exasperated. "I'm fine, honest. I just have to collect something, I'm meeting Arthur down on the training fields so have to get changed first."

"Oh, right you are then, love." Moving out of the way, Hunith watched as Merlin began rummaging through his numerous belongings, searching. Although he had been bedridden for over a month, the warlock's room was beyond a state. Muttering to himself as he searched, Merlin missed his mother's knowing smile as she watched him work.

Time seemed to trickle away at an increasing rate as Merlin searched, painfully aware that Arthur would be true to his promise and make things harder for the servant if he turned up late. With a sudden smile, Merlin realised that was precisely what he had been waiting for, someone not to treat him differently because it was his first day back, but as if it were the same as any other day. Beginning to actually worry slightly about what the prince might do, Merlin glanced quickly behind him, making sure it was only his mother standing in the door way.

"_R__eperio meus induviae_," he whispered under his breath, allowing the magic to fill him up. As his eyes flashed gold, he heard his mother suck in her breath sharply, but he couldn't help but grin in satisfaction as his shirt came whizzing out from under the bed to land gracefully in his outstretched hand. This was the first time he had used magic since Claton's attack earlier that day. Feeling slightly light headed as he jumped to his feet, but elated at the same time, Merlin didn't hang around long enough to listen to his mother's reprimand. He had a training field to get to.

Sprinting down the corridor as fast as he could, Merlin made it onto the training field with minutes to spare until Arthur made good on his promise. Even from a distance, the warlock could make out the prince sitting in their usual corner, the glint of the sun reflecting of his sword as he expertly twirled it from hand to hand. With a final burst of speed, Merlin pelted across the field, tripped over a branch ten feet away and was sent the last couple of feet on his stomach.

"We have _so _much work to do," Arthur groaned, climbing to his feet so he could stand over his fallen servant. Glancing sheepishly up from his uncomfortable position, Merlin grinned up at Arthur, hoping to somehow make the prince change his mind.

"If you have better things to do, Sire…" his voice trailing off hopefully, Merlin knew immediately as Arthur bent down and pulled him to his feet with just one hand that any hope of changing Arthur's mind was not going to happen.

"What? And miss the chance to humiliate you? Never." Handing Merlin the spare sword, Arthur couldn't help but smirk at the look of hopelessness on his servant's face. Set him up against an evil sorcerer and Merlin wouldn't flinch. Give him sword training on the other hand, and Arthur could tell it was taking all of the servant's might not to go running for the hills.

"Well, at least you're holding the right end this time, hey, Merlin?"

"Shut up, _Sire. _That only happened once." Ears burning, Merlin unsteadily held the sword out in front of him, not accustomed to the weight of the weapon. Smirking, Arthur bought his own sword up, and with one sharp flick, sent the weapon flying out of Merlin's hands. Grinning at the astonished look on his servant's face, Arthur picked it up for him and attempted to hand it back to the boy, only to be met by an obstinate resistance.

"Just take the damn thing, Merlin. We are doing this, whether you want to or not, so don't make it harder on yourself."

Snatching the sword from the prince's hand, Merlin subjected Arthur to the best glare he could muster, only to be smirked at in response. This time, the prince took a different approach, first of all showing the boy how to hold the hilt securely to stop it flying from his hand at the first impact. Deciding it would be best to actually talk Merlin through the different tactics before he simply attacked him, Arthur found himself slipping into a role he was more comfortable in. It took all of the prince's effort to stop himself delivering the standard speech he gave to all of his new knights. Somehow, he didn't think Merlin would appreciate it.

Half an hour later, Merlin's head was reeling. There was no other word for it, the warlock was thoroughly confused. It was all very well in theory explaining what each stance meant and the best way to counteract it, but somehow, the servant didn't think it would make quite so much sense when Arthur came at him with a sword in his hand.

"Ready?" Arthur asked, swinging his sword around him in perfection. Swallowing nervously, Merlin sent his master one last pleading look.

"No?"

"Parry, parry, thrust. Good." Flushed with his success, Merlin grinned at the prince as he tightened his grip on the sword he still had in his hand.

"Thrust, two, three, four. Parry, duck!"

"Duck? Ow!" Hitting the floor, Merlin glared up at Arthur as the prince stood mockingly over him. `Duck` had not been one of the techniques mentioned beforehand, he was sure of it.

"You have to be ready for anything, _Mer_lin."

"Yes, Sire," grumbling, Merlin accepted Arthur's helping hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, only to end up on his back again within a matter of seconds.

"What did I just say? Ready for _anything_. Get up, Merlin."

"No," the warlock responded, groaning. He was not going to get up, what was the point? He would only end up falling over again.

"Merlin. Get. Up." Sighing at the tone of Arthur's voice, Merlin rolled over and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He had a suspicion the prince wouldn't attack whilst his back was turned, even Arthur wouldn't sink that low. With a flash of his devious smile - one that had been absent for too long - Merlin tensed himself, only hoping Arthur wouldn't notice.

Spinning around and launching himself at the prince's legs quicker than Arthur could blink, Merlin threw himself at the prince. At the very last second, Arthur stepped sharply out of the way, causing the warlock to land with a crash back on the ground.

"Ready for _anything_." Smirking down at his servant spread-eagled on the ground at his feet, Arthur found his smile was genuine. If Merlin was prepared to attack, it meant they were getting somewhere.

"Can we stop now?" Merlin moaned, spitting out the dirt that had somehow made its way into his mouth during his latest collision with the ground.

"What do you think?"

"Yes?" Merlin responded, unable to hide the hope in his voice. Rolling over onto his back, the warlock froze as Arthur placed the tip of his sword against his neck, pushing him further into the ground.

"Guess again."

Gazing up at Arthur, Merlin didn't notice the sudden chill in the air.

"_Shame your father isn't around to see this…_,"The voice sounded from above him and suddenly, Merlin wasn't looking up at Arthur, he was staring into the merciless face of Claton. The scene that had played out so often in his nightmares, Claton raising the sword high above before bringing it down on the defenceless prince, whilst Merlin could only watch, trapped by his own weakness.

"No!" the warlock suddenly roared, springing to his feet and attacking the figure in front of him for all his worth. Everything the prince had just taught him being put to use as the warlock continued on his relentless attack.

"Merlin? Merlin! Snap out of it!" It was taking all of Arthur's skills to stop himself being killed by his own clumsy manservant who only five seconds ago couldn't stay on his feet. Ducking a sudden lunge for his head, Arthur felt himself break out in goose-bumps. This wasn't training; Merlin was going for the kill.

"Mer-lin," the prince grunted, trying to hold his own against the ferocious attack. Blocking a swipe at his chest, Arthur caught a glimpse of Merlin's eyes. The far away look that had been present earlier was back, making the normally bright blue eyes look deeply shadowed, and grey. This wasn't good. It had taken the prince ages to get through to his servant earlier, and that was with him simply sitting on the floor. Something was happening to the boy, the Merlin Arthur knew seemed to have vanished. Throwing his own sword to the side, Arthur lunged at his servant. Somehow – and he was never quite sure how – he managed to grab the arm holding the sword and wrench the weapon from the boy's hand.

That wasn't enough to stop Merlin though. He had been defenceless too many times. Swinging his fist back, Arthur ducked just in time as the punch came swinging through the air, aiming for his jaw. Previous experience had shown him what Merlin's punches could do, especially if he was riled up. Before Merlin had time to draw his arm back again, he felt the wrist seize, just as his legs were swept from under him.

Pinning the struggling servant to the ground, it was taking all of Arthur's strength to keep the skinny boy down, anxious to stop him hurting _himself_ more than anything. Slowly, Arthur felt the body begin to relax as Merlin calmed down, yet the prince dared not release him just yet.

"Gerroff," Merlin eventually muttered, trying to shake the vice like grip on his arm. Immediately, he felt a strong hand pull him to his feet, yet Arthur would not let go.

"What the _hell_ was that, Merlin?" Spinning the boy around to face him, it didn't escape Arthur's attention that Merlin refused to look him in the eye.

"Nothing. You said be ready for anything." Narrowing his eyes at the servant, Arthur didn't need to see Merlin squirm uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze to know the boy was lying to him.

"I think we're done for today. Go back to Gaius and attend to me in the morning." Mutely nodding, Merlin stumbled away, trying to ignore the cold edge to Arthur's words. The problem was, he wasn't lying by not telling the prince what had happened. He didn't _know _what had happened. One minute he had been training with the prince, next, he had been trying to stop Claton from killing Arthur, then he had found himself pinned to the ground by a furious prince back on the training ground. The warlock couldn't explain it. Not looking where he was going, Merlin didn't notice Gwen until he almost crashed straight into her.

"Merlin!" the maid cried joyfully, taking in the training shirt and knowing it could only mean Merlin was back at work.

"You're alright! How's it going? Has Arthur been gentle?"

"I'm sorry, Gwen," Merlin whispered, hearing his voice crack, "I have to go."

"Oh. Of course." Standing to one side, Gwen frowned in concern as Merlin took off, practically running back to the castle. Turning around, Gwen caught sight of the prince heading towards her, his crumpled brow a clear indicator something was troubling him. And given Merlin's strange reaction, Guinevere was pretty sure she knew what the problem was.

"Sire!" Her call seemed to bring Arthur out of his trance as he looked around wildly for the source of the voice. Part of him was hoping it would be Merlin, ready with an explanation for his strange behaviour.

"Gwen." Striding over to her, Arthur felt his frown deepen as he took in the pain in Gwen's eyes. He had seen Merlin talking to her before he had run off.

"What did he do?" Taken aback by Arthur's sharp tone, the maid simply gazed at the prince, not being sure what he was talking about.

"Who? Merlin? Nothing, he simply said he had to go and ran off. Is he alright?" Sighing deeply, Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face whilst he tried to think of how to answer Gwen. Unlike Gaius, he knew she wouldn't cause Merlin huge amounts of trouble by admitting his concerns about his manservant, but thinking back on his actions, Arthur was beginning to regret lying to the physician.

"No, Gwen, I don't think he is. He just completely flipped out on me and tried to kill me."

"He did what?" the maid's exclamation sounded horror struck, making Arthur reconsider telling her everything. He needed to tell someone though, this was the second time just today Merlin had managed to shake him up more than he would care to admit. Try as he might, the prince was unable to rid his thoughts of the haunted look in Merlin's eye as he had attacked his master.

"Sire…" Gwen continued hesitantly, not certain whether she was overstepping her place by voicing her opinion about the situation.

"You were training with him, weren't you, Milord?" At Arthur's nod, Gwen bit her lip. She still wasn't completely sure what had happened when they had been at the caves, only gaining snippets from Merlin mumbling in his sleep and Gaius's patchy explanations. But the injuries Merlin had come back with gave her enough to know that the warlock was lucky, extremely lucky, to still be alive.

"Could it be that he felt threatened? I mean, the last time he faced someone with a sword, he nearly died. Maybe, it was just too much too soon."

Pondering over her words, Arthur couldn't help but hope that she was right, meaning there wasn't anything darker going on. But still, he was having trouble shifting the image of Merlin's eyes from his mind...

"I hope so, Gwen." Nodding to her, Arthur made to stride off, determined to get back to his chambers and sort out the mess that was his thoughts. He had made it almost halfway back to the castle when a voice stopped him.

"Arthur? Look after him." Blushing, Gwen hurried off, not lurking around to see the prince's reaction. A strange expression crossed Arthur's face as he watched her run off. It was clear that the maid cared for Merlin, the affection was as obvious as it had been with Gaius. Her use of his name rather than any title made the prince smile. He wasn't the only one worried about his manservant.

Striding into the castle, Arthur didn't notice the figure crouched in the shadows by the door, just waiting for him to come inside so he would be able to slip out again. As soon as Arthur had disappeared, Merlin unfolded himself from under the stairs and slipped out of the door, squinting in the sun. With a quick glance around to make sure Gwen had also gone, the warlock set off at a sprint, his destination firmly in mind.

**Please review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much once again for all of your wonderful reviews, they really mean a lot to me!**

**Another huge thank you to MerlinStar for the beta-ing - hope the bit we talked about reads better now!**

**In case anyone was wondering, I still haven't gained ownership since chapter 1.**

As he ran, Merlin relished in the exercise, pushing his body further than he previously would have done so. Just as he reached his limits, the warlock's eyes flashed golden as he put on another spurt of speed. Reaching the lake, Merlin flopped down on the ground, breathing hard but unable to stop grinning. It had been way too long since he had been able to do that. As he gazed out across the calming water, captured perfectly between the rising peaks of the snow topped mountains, the warlock's smile slowly faded as he turned his mind back to what had happened. He had heard the exchange between his two friends as he crouched in the shadows and knew that Gwen, even Arthur – although the prince would never admit it – was worried about him. And if he was honest, he thought there was a good enough reason. Resting his head in his hands, Merlin seriously pondered the thought that perhaps Claton's attack had done more than anyone realised. Perhaps it had actually driven him mad?

For why else would he be seeing the sorcerer everywhere, constantly finding himself back in the cave? Why else would he be continuously watching Arthur die? It had originally started out as the nightmares, scenes from that fateful day playing out in his mind as he slept. Whilst he had confided in Gaius about the dreams, Merlin didn't think the physician's advice that they were only to be expected was quite true. The last couple of days, the dreams had started playing out when he was awake. Now it seemed he was beginning to act them out as well, putting everyone in danger, especially his prince. It unnerved Merlin when he considered how close he had come to killing Arthur. Although the prince would shrug it off and say his servant would never be able to defeat him, Merlin had seen the fear in his eyes when he faced him. Arthur, crown prince of Camelot, was scared of _him_, a mere servant in the prince's eyes.

Lost in plaguing thoughts, Merlin didn't notice the afternoon begin to slip away from him. He was trying to work out whether or not to tell Gaius of his suspicions when he suddenly shuddered. Pulling his jacket closer around him, Merlin looked up just in time to see the sun finish its final descent over the top of the mountains. Cursing to himself, the warlock jumped to his feet. Gaius would have his head himself if he knew the servant had been outside until this time.

Running back towards the castle as quickly as he could, Merlin couldn't help but notice how tired he was. The day had not only been a lot longer than the ones he was used to as of late; it had been both physically and emotionally draining. The event during the training added to his run meant the warlock was having trouble keeping his eyes open by the time he forced his weary legs up the stairs towards the physician's chambers. Slowly taking one step at a time, Merlin visibly jumped when the physician's door banged open with a force that caused the wood to bounce off the wall behind it, and who should walk out than the prince himself?

Passing Merlin on the stairs, the warlock flinched at the detached look in Arthur's eye. The prince had obviously not forgotten nor forgiven the earlier events. Whether it was the actual attack that troubled him, or the fact he knew Merlin had been lying to him, the warlock was not sure. He only knew he felt guilt gripping at his heart, twisting it in a way that made it painful to meet Arthur's accusing gaze.

Neither of the two spoke as they passed awkwardly on the narrow stairwell, but just as Merlin made to once more push open the door granting him access to Gaius' chambers, a voice called him back.

"Thought you might like to know Gaius thinks I put you on kitchen duty." With those words, Arthur spun on his heel and marched off down the corridor regally, leaving a speechless servant in his wake. Feeling a rush of gratitude that Merlin didn't even think was possible, the warlock watched him go. If Gaius didn't know he was dismissed hours ago, there would be no awkward questions. And if the physician believed he had survived through a normal day of work, then the annoying enquiries into his health would hopefully be less than the servant had been anticipating. Unsure of why Arthur had covered for him considering all that had happened, Merlin pushed the door open and stepped into his home.

"Merlin? Is that you?" Gaius' voice came floating through the door before the warlock had so much as crossed the threshold. A white head peered cautiously out from behind the bookshelf, causing Merlin to smile despite his heavy heart.

"Need a hand, Gaius?" he called up to his mentor, not forgetting the previous time he had witnessed the physician trying to reach something. Both times he had found himself using magic to help the old man out.

"No, thank you, my boy. I was wondering when you would get back."

"Was that Arthur I just saw leaving?" Merlin asked, feigning ignorance. He knew this was the only way he would be able to get a reason out of Gaius as to why the prince was here. As the physician began to climb stiffly down his ladder, a sudden thought struck the warlock, making him gasp in horror. Hastily covering it up with a cough, Merlin couldn't stop his heart from racing. What if he had actually hurt the prince during the training attack? It wasn't as if he had hung around for long enough to notice.

"Oh he just came to collect something," Gaius responded vaguely, dismissively waving his hand in the air and almost sending the book he had just retrieved flying. Grinning at Gaius' unusual clumsiness, Merlin flopped onto the closest stool, feeling utterly spent.

"Are you all right?" The minute he sat down, Gaius came bumbling over, resting the back of his hand against the warlock's forehead whilst attempting to look in his eyes at the same time. Pushing the hand away, Merlin let his eyes flash golden, smirking when the physician jumped in surprise.

"I'm fine, Gaius. Just a bit tired. It's been a long day, think I might turn in."

"Don't you at least want some supper? Your mother made it." Watching the back of Merlin's head in worry, Gaius couldn't hide the concerned note in his voice. It was most unlike Merlin to refuse food.

"Not really hungry," the warlock shrugged in a non-committed manner, making his way up the stairs to his room. Seizing his blankets, Merlin curled up on the floor, feeling his eyes drift shut the moment he lay down. Within seconds, Merlin found himself back in the place he dreaded more than anything, the reason why he was beginning to fear his own sanity.

"Too dark… no… too cold, no… can't… don't!"

"Merlin? Wake up, Merlin." Feeling a firm hand on his shoulder, Merlin snapped awake, scrambling backwards in surprise when he found himself nose to nose with Arthur.

"Sire? What… where… ?" Completely disorientated, Merlin stared about him wildly, his eyes big and fearful. In a few moments, he was able to establish that it was still dark, his bed was empty meaning that his mother had yet to come up, and Arthur Pendragon was crouched over him, concern radiating out of his blue eyes.

"It's only been an hour, you idiot," Arthur muttered, standing back up again and smoothing the non-existent creases out of his tunic.

"What are you doing here, Sire?" Merlin asked bluntly, his brain not having woken up enough to yet establish what was going on.

"I just came to tell you that I'm dining with my father tomorrow for breakfast, so you'll need to get to my chambers early. Are you sure you're all right, Merlin?"

Frowning down at his servant as Merlin rolled his eyes and stubbornly nodded his head, Arthur subconsciously bit his lip. He had walked in on Gaius and Hunith eating and when he had enquired after Merlin, was told he had already gone to bed. Rather than disturb their meal, the prince had insisted he delivered his message himself. On entering the warlock's room, the prince had immediately heard the boy muttering in his sleep, and a scene all too familiar to Arthur was playing out in front of him as Merlin restlessly tossed in his sleep, trapped in the realms of another nightmare.

"Right… anyway. Don't be late in the morning, Merlin." Finishing the conversation on a formal tone, Arthur made to stride from the room.

"Arthur?" The voice came out as barely more than a whisper, yet Arthur turned sharply to see Merlin trying to detangle himself from the blankets.

"Don't tell Gaius?"

"Get some more sleep, Merlin." Striding from the room, Arthur was aware of the stare burning into the back of his head as he through from the physician's chambers, only nodding to Gaius and Hunith as he passed. Shutting the door to the rooms quietly behind him, Arthur lent his head back on the wood. Why, precisely, was he not telling Gaius that his ward was clearly suffering? Heading back towards his own chambers, Arthur asked himself for the hundredth time that day whether he was doing the right thing. His thoughts racing, Arthur didn't notice his feet carry him into his room until he was suddenly sitting down on his own bed.

Pulling something out from under the pillow, Arthur stared hard at the little bottle, wondering whether he should be doing this or facing up to his own fears.

"Damn it," he whispered into the empty room, the look of fear in Merlin's eyes as he had awoken still fresh in his mind. Downing the contents in one, Arthur had just enough time to pull a face at the bitter taste before he was sinking back into the soft pillows. Fully clothed, Arthur was asleep before he had quite finished lying back. At least he would be protected from the nightmares tonight, even if Merlin wasn't.

MMM

Unaware of his master's own fight against the dreams, Merlin stood gazing out of his window, the peace of Camelot at nighttime soothing to his inner turmoil. Regardless of what Arthur had said, Merlin had no intention of getting any more sleep. He couldn't face the dreams again, not after everything that had happened today. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, the warlock threw himself back under the blankets and tried to even out his breathing, his eyes shut. The steps entered the room and paused. Strongly resisting the urge to peek, Merlin kept perfectly still, trying with every fibre of his being to look like he was asleep.

"It worked," a voice whispered from above him, telling the warlock that the physician was the one to have entered the room. "He is peaceful. Maybe being back at work was the best thing for him. I shouldn't have tried to stop him."

"Now, now, Gaius," a second voice chided. So his mother had come up as well. Listening hard, it suddenly crossed Merlin's mind that he hadn't slept this still for years. He was going to have to move in a moment if the act was going to work.

"You were only trying to keep him alive. There was no way he would have been ready for work before today. Although from what the prince said earlier…" Hunith broke off suddenly halfway through her sentence, unaware that she was leaving her son hanging onto every word. What precisely _had _Arthur said earlier?

Determined to listen to the end of the sentence, Merlin didn't notice himself stop pretending to be asleep and actually drift off, regardless of any earlier promises to himself. Only this time, there was no return to the cave. Something was different. Instead of seeing the scene that had haunted him for so long now, Merlin found himself somewhere completely different. He could see nothing, there was a darkness that couldn't be penetrated by anything. Hypnotising, the blackness seemed to lead the warlock deeper and deeper, clutches of evil taking hold of his heart and gently caressing it, almost making the warlock want to give himself up there and then and allow the blackness to enclose his mind as well.

"Merlin? It's time to wake up now." Blearily opening his eyes, Merlin could just make out his mother standing over him, the very beginnings of dawn slowly making their way over the horizon.

"That was the longest you've slept for in a long time," she continued with a smile, handing him a bowl of what he knew without looking contained her version of porridge. Not wanting to destroy her happiness, Merlin merely nodded, not yet awake enough to bother explaining the darkness of his night. It wasn't that he felt tired, more drained, as if he had been fighting something off for the entire time he was resting. Remembering the darkness trying to penetrate him, the boy involuntarily shuddered, thankful his mother had turned away.

Eating his breakfast, Merlin glanced up at his bed absentmindedly and jumped in surprise when he saw that his mother's belongings were strewn across the blankets as she began folding something else and placing it in the small bag by her feet.

"You're leaving?" the warlock exclaimed, the surprise obvious in his voice. Before Hunith had a chance to answer, Gaius walked in, looking very pleased with himself when he saw that Merlin had yet to get up. It meant the warlock had not already been awake for hours, something that seemed to have become the norm lately.

"Merlin. You are feeling better, yes?" At Gaius' strange enquiry, Merlin nodded, unable to stop himself thinking that that was more of a statement than a question.

"I have to return to Ealdor, sweetheart," Hunith continued, picking up from where Gaius finished. Sitting on the edge of Merlin's bed, Hunith watched her son closely.

"I don't want to leave you, but the crops won't plant themselves. If I want to return in the next year, I have to have a harvest to return to. And, although it pains me, darling, this is your home, not mine. I'm not destined to stay in Camelot."

"I understand," Merlin responded shortly. Truly he did, and was in a way pleased. His mother had been here for almost half the time he had been in Camelot, but if she was to leave, he could begin to set his life back up again. At the same time, however, he really didn't want her to go. Smiling sadly down at her boy and how mature he was becoming, Hunith crossed the room and dropped a light kiss on his untidy mop. Clearing his throat, Gaius drew Merlin's attention back to him.

"I'm going to accompany her to the border, Merlin, see her safely there. Then… if it is alright with you, my boy, I need to visit an old friend. I promised her I would stop by at some point, and well, I'm already half way there."

Unable to stop the wide grin splitting his face in two, Merlin struggled to stop himself from laughing. Was Gaius actually blushing?

"By old friend, you couldn't possibly mean a certain Lady Elizabeth, could you?"

Clearing his throat subconsciously, Gaius turned back to Hunith.

"Are you ready to leave, my dear?" At her nod, realisation hit Merlin hard.

"You're going _now_?"

Scrambling to his feet, Merlin threw his arms around his mother, hugging her closely. He didn't want to have to say goodbye so soon. Although it was probably for the best, it would mean he didn't spend the build up to the departure brooding over something he had no control over.

"Be safe," Hunith whispered, unshed tears constricting her voice. Merlin nodded softly, releasing his mother. Watching the two walk companionably towards the door, Merlin called after his mentor once more.

"Gaius?" The physician turned, his eyebrow raised in his standard manner at the cheeky look on Merlin's face. Opening his mouth to say something, Merlin caught one look at his mentor's face and instead ducked into his room, laughing. He hadn't meant to, only the expression on Gaius' face had been somewhat priceless.

A few moments later and a composed Merlin walked out of his room. It was time to get to work. Wandering through the almost deserted corridors, Merlin watched dawn break through the various windows he passed, marvelling at the liquid hues the sun sent gliding out across the horizon. It truly was beautiful.

Softly opening Arthur's door, without knocking, Merlin crept in. Pausing just inside of the door, the servant smiled at the sight in front of him. The prince hadn't even undressed himself, instead crashing down onto his bed fully clothed. Crossing the room, Merlin gently shook his friend.

"Arthur? Sire? Oh come on, Arthur, wake up!" Giving him a sharp prod, Merlin smirked with satisfaction as the prince began to stir. Setting the most innocent look on his face that he could master, Merlin crossed the room and began to select something for the prince to wear during his breakfast with the king.

Blearily, Arthur cracked open his eyes, sleep still coursing through him. Eventually, he managed to sit up, noting with surprise he was still dressed. That was the problem with the tonics, they knocked you out. Not only did it mean he had been asleep before remembering he was still dressed, but it certainly made waking up a lot harder; his brain felt even more sluggish than usual.

"Can't even dress yourself for bed without help, I see." An annoyingly cheerful voice floated across the room, making Arthur narrow his eyes at his servant, despite feeling relieved at seeing him so happy.

"I can manage perfectly well, _Mer_lin. I simply didn't want to last night."

"I'm sure, _Sire."_

"Shut up." Climbing off the bed with a groan, Arthur hastily tried to cover up his stumble as Merlin headed towards him, a fresh set of clothes in his waiting hands. Feeling completely disorientated, Arthur quickly tottered his way over to the wash basin in the corner and splashed his face with some deliciously cool water, sparking his sleepy brain into use.

With the prince half functioning once again, the two boys set about getting him changed. The sun had just finished rising when Arthur declared he was ready to go. A soft knock on the door made him bid whoever it was to enter as Merlin set about gathering the dirty clothes. Looking up in surprise at the servant entering with a laden breakfast tray, Arthur bit his tongue, waiting for the boy to leave.

"I thought you were dining with your father?" Merlin asked, trying to keep the accusatory tone from his voice the second the servant had bowed himself from the room. It would be so typical Arthur to have dragged him out of bed before dawn for no reason. Rolling his eyes, the prince grinned at his servant.

"I am, idiot. It's for you."

"Me?" Merlin asked, sounding incredulous. Why on earth would Arthur have ordered breakfast in for _him?_

"You don't remember the last time Gaius went away then?" the prince continued, eyebrows raised. Merlin's face puckered in thought, causing the prince to look skyward again. Honestly, Merlin never seemed to remember anything.

"You forgot to eat for three days," he supplied, watching the guilty realisation spring onto his servant's face. "Forgot to tell me, only letting me find out when you passed out. Ringing any bells? I knew Gaius was leaving this morning, and we're going hunting later. I'd rather not have to peel you off from the forest floor."

"At least the stables were clean," Merlin muttered, secretly touched by the prince's concern. Tossing a discarded shirt into his servant's face, Arthur smirked.

"Enjoy." Without waiting for a response, the prince strode out of his chambers, feeling remarkably pleased with himself. As soon as Gaius had informed the prince of his plans to leave, Arthur had set about making the preparations to try and keep Merlin conscious until he got back. The boy was so helpless at looking after himself, it was beyond comparison really, but coupled with everything else that had happened, and Arthur felt himself feeling oddly protective of the clumsy idiot. Not that he would tell Merlin that, of course...

Glancing in disbelief at the laden table, Merlin cast an almost cautious look towards the door before he gingerly sat down on the edge of Arthur's chair. He still couldn't believe it, not realising quite how considerate Arthur could be when he wasn't thinking of himself. Which, admittedly, wasn't often, but that was beside the point. Tentatively pulling the first dish towards him, Merlin carefully pulled the lid off, half expecting something unpleasant to be waiting for him. He wouldn't put it past Arthur to try something like that.

Instead, a large platter of meat and cheese lay waiting for him. Opening one dish after another, Merlin knew within a matter of moments this was the breakfast the prince himself normally had. Sitting back in disbelief, Merlin was too stunned to actually eat anything. Eventually though, his growling stomach reminded him of how well Arthur knew him; he had indeed forgotten breakfast. Although, personally, he blamed it on Hunith and Gaius' departure rather than having actually forgotten.

It didn't take long for the servant to eat his fill. How on earth Arthur managed to put that much food away just for breakfast was beyond Merlin, he guessed it had something to do with being a knight and all the training the prince supposedly did. Shuddering at the memories of training, Merlin heaved himself off the chair, feeling as if he wouldn't need to eat for about a week, and began to put together some of their hunting gear for later. Surprisingly, he didn't feel like moaning that much, although he was sure that would change once the actual killing started. It would be good to get away from the castle for a bit. The servant had already decided that yesterday didn't count giving his state of mind at the time.

With the arrows retrieved, the crossbow polished and ready to go, Merlin found his patience beginning to dwindle as he waited for the prince to return. He was thankful he hadn't been dragged along as well, Uther seemed to have developed a very curious expression when he laid eyes on his son's manservant, thankfully not something that occurred that often. Merlin was sure it was a blaming stare he was receiving, he knew full well about how the king had felt regarding Arthur trying to rescue him from Claton. The fact Arthur had ended up in a cell in Camelot's dungeons just to stop him going was a clear testimony to that.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Merlin was quite content to pass the time just gazing into space. He was so lost up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the prince finally return, or see his horrified expression when he registered the far away look on his servant's face.

Suddenly brought back to reality by a boot hitting him square in the face, Merlin blinked a few times, bemused, before his eyes fell on Arthur. With only one shoe on.

"What was that for?" the warlock yelped. He had even got together their hunting gear without being asked! What reason could Arthur possibly have for throwing the shoe at him_ this _time? Admittedly in the past there had been some good reasons, but this time, the servant was just flummoxed.

Sensing his servant had just been thinking rather than entering one of his weird zoned out times the boy seemed to keep drifting off into, Arthur smirked, trying to cover up his discomfort.

"You didn't eat anything," he responded, eyes falling on the almost full dishes residing on the table.

"Didn't eat anything?" Merlin retorted, the protest apparent in his voice. "I ate loads, thank you very much. How you eat that much _every single day_ is a miracle!"

"Anyway," Arthur continued, glad for the change of subject. "Glossing over my eating habits, is the hunting gear all set?"

"Yes, Sire," Merlin replied, climbing to his feet. Smiling at the almost grumbling tone, Arthur turned away from his servant to hide his expression. It was good to have the old Merlin back for once. Following his servant down the corridor, Arthur tried to regain some of his regal posture as he scurried along after his servant, amazed at just how fast Merlin could walk when he put his mind to it.

**Please review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much once again for all of those lovely reviews, they really mean the absolute world to me, thank you!**

**Another huge thanks to my amazing beta, MerlinStar - I really couldn't do this without you honey!**

Before long, prince and servant were deep within the forest. Reining his horse to a stop, Arthur heard Merlin clumsily try to do the same.

"Shh," the prince hissed sharply, suddenly not quite so pleased to have the old Merlin back. At least the new one seemed to have times of quietness, something that would have been handy during the hunting sessions. This one seemed to have no idea at all about the importance of stealth.

"It's not my fault, Drift…"

"_Mer_lin, shut up," Arthur warned quietly, smoothly drawing his crossbow from behind his saddle. He knew without having to look that Merlin would be frowning, if not pouting by now; he really didn't seem to enjoy the hunts at all, though it was a mystery to the prince _why_. With a rustle of the bushes, a young buck suddenly shot from the safety of the trees, eyes rolling in terror as it leapt past them, causing Arthur to grin and Merlin to groan.

"Stay with the horses." Shouting the order over his shoulder, Arthur leapt from his horse in one swift movement, tensing his knees to allow them to take the impact of the fall. Crossbow in one hand, sword in the other, the prince sprinted into the thick undergrowth gleefully, feeling more alive than he had done for weeks. This was definitely the kind of lifestyle he was more suited to.

Climbing more slowly down from his own horse's back, Merlin caught his foot in the stirrup and landed with a soft thud on the ground, rubbing the sore ankle.

"Great," he muttered to himself, climbing to his feet and grabbing hold of the reins of Arthur's steed, knowing the war horse was close to bolting into the forest after his master.

"He drags me all of this way, and for what? To stay with the horses." Tugging on the rope to make the stubborn animal move, Merlin lead the black horse over to his own, both sets of reins held loosely in his hand. Knowing he was not going to join in the hunt, Arthur's horse had calmed down and was now more than content to just nibble at the grass by the warlock's feet, his constant training making him no trouble to handle. If only the same could sometimes be said about princes...

Tapping his foot on the ground, Merlin couldn't help but cluck his tongue impatiently as the seconds became minutes and the prince had still not reappeared. Occasionally, the warlock could just about hear the trampling of the bushes nearby, but due to the thick undergrowth, he wasn't sure whether it was the prince, or simply some poor creature trying to evade the hunting-crazed man.

Just as Merlin was beginning to get _really_ bored, he felt the air temperature suddenly drop dramatically, causing the servant's breath to begin to steam in front of him. Frowning in both confusion and concern, Merlin let go of the reins, noting with dread how the horses had begun to stamp their feet and shake their heads nervously. He knew magic had that effect on beasts, and with Arthur off gallivanting, the servant was becoming increasingly anxious his master had once more managed to get himself into trouble; he did seem to be a magnet for it, after all. As Arthur's horse let out a shrill neigh of distress, Merlin made a split second decision and let the magic fill him up, ready to shoot out of his fingertips with just a mere flash of his eyes.

The second the power began to pump its way around his body, the scar on Merlin's chest exploded in a flurry of pain. Letting out a hoarse cry of surprise and pain, Merlin dropped to his knees, pressing his palms against his chest in an attempt to stop the pain, any thoughts of magic immediately driven from him. As the burning sensation rose in intensity, getting stronger with every second, Merlin felt like it was on fire and that any moment, the warlock himself was going to explode. Thrown onto his back in a desperate attempt to escape, Merlin felt himself begin to lose his grip on consciousness, the magic slowly ebbing out of him as he lost control and succumbed to nothingness.

As the magic drained from him, the burning slowly receded to a low throb, allowing Merlin to catch his breath, shaken. It was clear it had somehow been linked to his magic, yet he had managed to retrieve the training shirt with no difficulty at all. Trying to ignore the slow throb pounding through his skull, Merlin gradually pushed himself upright again, closing his eyes for a second to stop the world spinning. The horses were still fretting, making the warlock frown as his head gave another throb. A loud laugh suddenly echoed through his skull, making him wince in discomfort and stare around the small clearing, determined to try and find the source of whatever this was.

The laugh sounded again, and Merlin couldn't help but notice how eerily familiar it was. His eyes resting on his nervous horse, Merlin gasped as another consciousness suddenly overwhelmed his own, driving the warlock back within himself. Struggling for control of _himself_, Merlin called upon his magic, thankful when nothing else happened but the rush of energy immediately trying to spring to his aid. Fighting with every fibre of his being against the onslaught within his mind, Merlin somehow managed to realise that it had been within himself where the laugh had come from, not the surrounding area. Which meant, he couldn't help but think as he felt himself slowly being forced back, that Arthur would not have heard a thing and have no idea what was happening. With a final surge of power, the strange consciousness drove once more into his skull, causing the already weakened warlock to slip with his stream of magic. The second Merlin's defences were down, it attacked once more, this time completely overwhelming the boy.

Feeling himself slip into the black, Merlin knew only one thing. Claton was back. And this time, Arthur wouldn't be able to kill him. For this time, the sorcerer had returned by possessing his servant.

Arthur steadied the crossbow with his other hand, his sword tucked firmly under his arm. Taking in a breath as he had been taught, the prince tightened his finger on the trigger, his eyes locked on the young buck in front of him. He had followed the animal in circles, but this, finally, was his moment. Gently beginning to squeeze, Arthur began to pull back the trigger as a loud crashing sounded through the undergrowth. The buck looked up in alarm at the sound and took off into the trees, Arthur's arrow landing precisely where it had been the moment before. Cursing, Arthur spun around the face the noise and was surprised when he had to suddenly throw himself to one side to avoid being trampled by his own horse. Throwing his arm out to one side, Arthur somehow managed to catch hold of the flying reins and gently bought the creature to a stop.

"I tell him to do _one _thing," Arthur grumbled, leading the horse back towards the clearing, quickly working out what he was going to say to his useless lump of a servant. No doubt the boy already had some lame excuse ready.

Entering the clearing, Arthur frowned when he saw Drift, Merlin's trustful steed, gently nudging the boy at her feet, as if trying to rouse him.

"Sleeping again, _Mer_lin?" Arthur commented dryly, as he rounded the horse, one eyebrow raised as he realised Merlin was indeed stretched out in front of Drift. However, when he stopped in front of the horse, any sarcastic comments were driven immediately from his head as he let go of Thunder's reigns in horror. Merlin did indeed appear to be asleep, if it wasn't for his chest.

The shirt was burnt, and without having to look any closer, Arthur knew it followed the exact pattern of the scar on his servant's chest, the one showing who the boy was servant to. The material flapped in the breeze from where the "A" had burnt through, revealing the nasty welt beneath. Arthur dropped to his knees, concern flowing through him as he took in Merlin's ashen complexion and the trickle of blood running from his nose as the boy refused to stir, despite Arthur's pleading.

Horrified that he hadn't been around to protect the servant, Arthur stared about him wildly, looking for whoever had done this to his friend. No one was in sight, and the horses appeared to be calm. The prince knew from experience that if there was still the threat of magic hanging about the air, the beasts would know, and there was no way they would be this relaxed.

"What the hell has happened to you, Merlin?" Arthur whispered into the silence. The very air around him seemed to be holding its breath as the prince grabbed hold of Merlin's wrist, frantically feeling for a pulse. There. Weak and unsteady, but definitely there, the pulse beneath Arthur's fingers had never felt so welcoming. Unsure of whether he should move the boy, Arthur bit his lip in anxiety, staring frantically at the still form in front of him. He should have known that Merlin was in no state to return to work, yet he could be so damn stubborn! It didn't matter to Merlin that he had practically half the kingdom warning him not to push his luck. No. Merlin did what Merlin wanted, and Arthur couldn't help but feel the consequence of that was the motionless boy at his feet.

Not knowing what else to do and hating himself for feeling useless, Arthur quickly secured the horses and drew their provisions out of some of the saddle bags. Lighting a small fire, he then shrugged his jacket off and, rolling it up, placed it under Merlin's head, knowing he could do no more until the warlock awoke. As a low grumble sounded through the air, Arthur glanced down sheepishly. If Merlin was going to stay unconscious for a while, then it made sense for the prince to at least keep his strength up. Pulling out a loaf of bread, Arthur tore a chunk off and sat back against a log, chewing, eyes never leaving his still servant.

Merlin couldn't help but groan as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Cracking his eyes open, the warlock immediately winced as they were met with bright sunlight. Squinting against the light, the boy carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position, gasping as his chest stung with the movement. The instant he moved, he was aware of Arthur rushing over, the haste in which the prince moved an indication of how worried he had been, which seemed to imply to the warlock he had been out of it for quite some time now.

"Merlin? What happened? Are you all right? What hap-,"

"Arthur, shut up," Merlin groaned, the prince's naturally loud voice penetrating within his head and making it pound uncomfortably. Stunned into silence, Arthur offered Merlin his hand and gently pulled the boy to his feet. By the way his eyes were screwed up against the light; the prince could only guess his head was troubling him, providing an explanation for the servant's demand. As soon as he got to his feet and felt himself returning to full alert, Merlin was instantly aware of the lingering presence within his soul. It was like a bad itch he couldn't reach to scratch, yet at the same time, it was so much more. He could physically feel Claton, the darkness the sorcerer possessed trying to spiral its way into Merlin's own magic. Looking down, the warlock gasped as he took in the state of his shirt. He knew that the pain had felt like a burn, but it had never crossed his mind it may have actually burnt the fabric.

"What happened, Merlin?" Arthur questioned again, his voice much softer than before. Whilst he was thankful for the lowering in volume, Merlin knew the tone too well. He was not going to be allowed to get away with not answering again, not after what he had put the prince through in the last few days.

"I-,"

"_Tell him and I kill him."_

Jumping in surprise, Merlin stared blindly around him, looking for the source of the voice. Taking in Arthur's puzzled frown at his latest behaviour, Merlin felt his brow crumple in confusion. It was almost as if the voice had come from within him.

"I'm waiting, Merlin."

"Well-,"

"_I mean it. One word and the prince dies." _Swallowing hard, Merlin bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from crying out in horror. It seemed he could do more than just feel Claton's consciousness; the sorcerer really was alive within the boy.

"I fell asleep," Merlin responded bluntly, cursing himself for not coming up with a better excuse. Arthur's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he stared at his servant. After a moment, the look of disbelief morphed into one of hurt and disappointment as the prince seemed to realise he was going to say no more.

"Very well," he said coldly, ignoring Merlin's flinch. He had had it with the boy's lies, something major was obviously happening to the servant, yet he was refusing to allow anyone to help. First the strange zoning outs, then the attack during the training sessions, and now this?

"Prepare the horses, we're returning immediately to Camelot."

"Yes Sire." Feeling his eyes begin to sting at Arthur's tone, Merlin did as he was bid.

"_Good boy,"_ the mocking voice once more spiralled up from within his soul, causing the warlock to grind his teeth in fury. Unfortunately, not knowing how much control over his magic Claton had, Merlin didn't feel like he could risk warning Arthur without putting him in immediate danger. And if his enemy was going to use his own power against him, then there would be nothing Merlin could do to protect the prince either. Perhaps it was just better to play along for a little while whilst he established what it was Claton wanted.

"_Revenge." _Starting in surprise, Merlin paused with one hand holding Drift's saddle, preparing to swing himself onto her back. It was almost as if…

"_Yes, I know what you're thinking. I'm part of you now. And you will do as I command or I will kill your princely friend, as well as everyone else in that God forsaken kingdom."_

His breathing coming in quick breaths, Merlin found the terror beginning to build within him at Claton's words. If he did indeed know what the warlock was thinking, then there would be no way he would be able to trick him into either revealing himself or allowing Arthur to know what was going on.

"Any time today, Merlin," Arthur's bitter tone bought Merlin out of his musings and onto Drift's back. Nudging her into a trot, master and servant began the journey back home in a stony silence, Arthur furious, Merlin terrified.

As the horses were slowly bought to a stop, Merlin couldn't help but notice that his hands were shaking as he climbed down. Handing the reins to a waiting stable boy with a smile of thanks that didn't reach his eyes, Merlin silently followed Arthur back to the prince's chambers, worried about the conversation that would inevitably follow. He could tell by Arthur's posture that the prince was utterly livid, and if he was honest, Merlin couldn't blame him. He had given the prince absolutely no reason to trust he was fit to return to work judging on his recent behaviour, and part of him was just thankful Arthur hadn't yet had him arrested.

"I'll ask you one more time, Merlin," Arthur began the moment he had set foot in his chambers and gestured for the servant to shut the door. His voice was deathly quiet; the anger could be heard shimmering under the surface.

"And I want an honest answer. What happened?" Feeling a warning throb begin behind his eyes, Merlin knew without having to think about it that Claton was listening to every word and was not going to give him the chance to let anything slip.

"I told you," Merlin muttered, not able to meet the prince's accusing stare. "I just fell asleep." His eyes fixed on the floor, Merlin missed the muscle clench in Arthur's cheek as the prince fought to control his temper. Merlin had been through a lot, he was clearly still suffering. However, not knowing what was going on, Arthur couldn't help but wonder whether the boy was becoming a liability with the _lack _of information he was being so forth coming with.

"Return to your chambers, Merlin. I don't want to see you until you are called for."

Walking silently out of the door, Merlin waited until he had rounded the first corner before breaking into a sprint. Pelting his way through the twisting corridors, the servant found his vision was blurred by the tears trickling down his face. Flinging himself onto his bed, Merlin let out his emotions in one hoarse scream, muffled by his pillow.

"_Poor Merlin. The prince doesn't trust him."_

"Go away," Merlin growled, his teeth gritted in frustration and anger.

"_I don't think so,"_ Claton responded with a sneer, sending another throb into the warlock's head and causing his eyes to screw up in pain. Sitting up, Merlin shut his bedroom door with a flash of his eyes.

"Go. Away," he snarled, sending a stream of the most powerful magic he could muster into his soul. Immediately, he felt his breath catch in his throat as Claton didn't so much as flinch, but instead let the boy cast the magic upon himself.

"Ow," Merlin whimpered quietly as he felt the effects of his own magic, yet knew it had done nothing to rid him of Claton.

"_Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, have you not got it by now? I AM you. Anything that you try to do to me simply affects you."_

Allowing his exhaustion and pain, as well as emotional strain, overcome him, Merlin buried his head in the pillow and cried, ignoring the voice mocking his every action.

**So? Any thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I cannot thank you enough for all of those amazing reviews, it really makes my day to see them waiting for me, thank you so much! An extra thank you to those of you to whom I can't directly respond to, I want you to know that they all really mean the world to me!**

**Another huge thank you to MerlinStar for betaing! You're a superstar!**

**Sorry, slightly shorter one this time!**

Arthur slowly exhaled as he watched Merlin leave his room, the servant's posture tense and strained. Although he would never admit it to anyone, least of all Merlin, Arthur was scared. Scared of what was happening to the boy he considered to be his friend, the boy he had gone up against his father as well as a sorcerer to try and save him. The boy who, even now, continued to lie to him and pretend nothing was wrong when it was more than obvious that was not the case.

Determined to get to the bottom of it all as well as protecting Merlin from himself more than anything, Arthur quietly left his room. Grabbing the first servant he saw, Arthur quickly instructed him to tell the King he had retired to his room with a headache. Even Uther knew better than to disturb the prince when he had one of those; his temper was not to be tested. Knowing he had at least got his father off his back for the rest of the afternoon, Arthur slipped silently through the corridors, moving as though he were nothing more than a flicker of a shadow.

With a furtive glance around him as he began to climb the stairs, Arthur couldn't help but feel guilty for what he was about to do. But if Merlin would not tell him what was wrong, then it was Arthur's right as both his master and friend to find out. Besides, he had a promise to keep, not just to himself but to Gaius as well. He had sworn to the physician that he would watch over Merlin whilst he was away. His afternoon trip to see Gaius the previous day had ended up in a conversation far deeper than Arthur was really comfortable with, but it had provided him with some interesting insights. For instance, he knew Merlin had trouble sleeping, but hadn't realised quite the extent to which the nightmares were plaguing him. Although now thankful they had spoken before he had seen it for himself, the sight of the pale boy shaking in fright in his sleep still haunted Arthur deeply.

With a final glance around him, Arthur held his breath as he silently pushed open the door to the physician's chambers. Tiptoeing in, the prince crept up the stairs until he was standing outside Merlin's shut door. Pressing his ear to the wood, Arthur frowned when he thought he could make out sobs from the other side. What on earth could have got Merlin so worked up? About to push the door open, something made Arthur freeze. His hand outstretched, inches from the door handle, Arthur paused, listening hard.

"Leave me… alone." Jumping in surprise, Arthur stared at the door. How had Merlin known he was even there?

"I'll find a way. Go away." Frowning in confusion, Arthur pressed his ear closer to the door. Merlin's second comment made the prince realise it was not him Merlin was talking too. But if it wasn't the prince, then who?

"Shut up!" Merlin suddenly cried, confirming Arthur's previous suspicions he had been crying; the tremor in his voice was testimony to that.

"Shut up, shut up! Leave me-ow!" As Merlin's cry punctuated the air, Arthur hesitated outside the door, not sure what to do. He didn't want to just burst in there, it had been clear Merlin didn't want him to know about any of this. Yet his friend was obviously in distress, and it was killing the prince to just stand here and do nothing. Eventually though, the sound of Merlin's sobs slowly resided. Holding his breath, Arthur carefully inched open the door and peered in. His servant was spread out on his bed, lying on his stomach with his head pillowed on his arms, turned to one side. Twisting his own neck a little to get a better look at his friend's face, Arthur frowned in concern. Even sleeping, the pain and upset was still clear in Merlin's face.

Carefully pulling the door shut again, Arthur bit his lip thoughtfully. Having told his father he was ill, he knew it would provoke suspicion if he was seen wondering the castle now. In an attempt to protect Merlin from whatever it was that was haunting him, Arthur slowly slipped the key off the hook from outside his door, and placing it in the lock, held his breath as he carefully locked the servant in his own room. Sitting himself down on one of Gaius' stools, Arthur frowned in concern at the door. Somehow, having a locked door between him and the servant made the prince feel better; despite telling himself it was for Merlin's good. Something Arthur Pendragon never thought he would catch himself thinking sprung unbidden into the prince's mind. He was afraid of his own servant.

After a few moments, Arthur noticed his foot had begun to tap of its own accord. Forcing the limb to stay still, the prince grimaced as his fingers then took over, drumming on the edge of the table. Climbing to his feet, the prince started to pace the workshop, hating the waiting game he was locked in. For some unknown reason, Merlin had decided not to trust him, and Arthur couldn't help but feel that was a good enough reason for him to find out exactly what was going on. He knew the servant well enough to tell that he was scared, and perhaps thinking whatever had happened in the woods was still a threat whilst they were out in the open, the prince had decided to return to Camelot in the hope Merlin would feel safe enough to inform him of what was going on. But judging by his behaviour, that was not going to be the case. Though for the life of him, Arthur could not figure out what had Merlin so spooked. He had seen the servant boy stare death in the face many times, even mocking it. So what on earth had taken place that was so bad?

Flinging himself back onto the stool, Arthur sighed deeply, watching the sun begin to set out of the small window. Had it really only been two days since Merlin had returned to work? With his constant worry about his friend, Arthur felt like it had been a lifetime already. Determined to keep an eye on the boy, Arthur didn't notice himself drifting off, his head resting on his arms as the late afternoon spiralled down into evening, the enclosing shadows providing a sense of gloom that only foreshadowed what was yet to come.

Merlin cracked his eyes open painfully, instantly aware that night had fallen. His head was throbbing; a heartless reminder of who else was with him.

"Leave it out," the warlock muttered to himself as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as the room spun sickeningly around him.

"_Or what?"_ Sighing in frustration, Merlin didn't answer. He had hoped silence would meet his demand. "_We're going to go for a little walk."_

"Go yourself," Merlin snarled, his temper fraying extremely short. The warlock felt ready to explode out of sheer frustration. He was desperate to tell Arthur their enemy had returned, but there was no way he could risk it. More than that, though, he was desperate to rid himself of Claton. But with his magic only serving to cause him greater pain, the boy was now left defenceless. It had been a long time since Merlin had felt so utterly helpless, the previous times also thanks to the man now taunting him.

"_And miss the pleasure of your company? Never. Now move." _To the boy's surprise, his feet started carrying him automatically across the room. Trying to stop himself, Merlin realised with horror that he had absolutely no control over his body at all, no matter what he did. Reaching his door, his hand rose of its own accord and tugged. Astonished, Merlin stared at the wood. He knew he had shut the door, but he was sure he hadn't locked it.

"_Playing games, Merlin?" _Claton asked, his tone sending shudders down the warlock's spine. Once more fruitlessly tugging on the handle, Merlin frowned in complete confusion.

"I don't get it. I didn't lock it."

"_Looks like you had a visitor." _Before Merlin quite had time to comprehend what was happening, a sharp voice rang out into the room, one that was both his own and not at the same time, and he immediately felt his magic rush in response. Shakily drawing a breath as the door clicked open, Merlin couldn't stop his heart from pounding uncomfortably hard. It seemed it wasn't just his body that Claton had control over, but his magic as well. This was not good.

Continuing on his forced march, Merlin was out of his room and down the stairs in seconds, where he stopped suddenly. Claton's surprise crashed over him a mere second after his own at seeing Arthur fast asleep at the table, his sword balanced precariously across his lap.

"_It would only need to slip…"_ Claton begun mockingly, already causing the warlock's hand to rise in anticipation of using magic.

"Leave him _alone_," Merlin thought back fiercely, not wanting to say anything out loud for fear of awakening the prince. Then how would he explain how he had got out of his room? Laughing at the fury in Merlin's tone that only just covered up the underlying fear, Claton pushed the boy onwards once more.

"_For now. But everyone has to play their part."_

"I won't let you hurt him," Merlin stated boldly, pulling the physician's door shut behind him before making his way further down the corridor with absolutely no idea where he was going. He had given up trying to fight for control of his body for he knew that he couldn't win. Halfway down the corridor, Merlin felt his feet suddenly shoot off at different angles, causing him to land with a painful thud on the floor.

"_What are you going to do about it, Merlin?"_

"You underestimated Arthur once before, and it cost you your life. Don't think for a moment you will be able to escape a second time."

Proud of how certain he sounded, Merlin subconsciously raised his head, determination tingling down his spine. Claton didn't seem to know how to answer, instead opting to force Merlin further down the corridor. Using the sorcerer's distraction to his advantage, Merlin decided to try something. Letting his mind roam, he quickly focused on a memory. It was from months ago, with him and Arthur out hunting in the forest, but instead of the actual scene playing out, the warlock instead began to imagine a different scenario, slipping it into the original memory. He wasn't sure whether he was using magic or just his imagination, but he was more curious as to whether it would work. Imagining himself falling off his horse, Merlin was hard pushed not to smile in satisfaction as Claton made another sarcastic comment about his clumsiness. Claton may be able to see his thoughts, but it was Merlin who was controlling what he was allowing the sorcerer to see. He still had some protection against the man.

Within moments, the pair had made their way through the darkened castle. Ducking into a twisting side passage, Merlin couldn't help but wonder where they were going.

"_Never you mind," _Claton cut in, making Merlin roll his eyes in annoyance. The man, despite being pure evil, was being even more annoying than Arthur on a bad morning. Finding himself in a low cave, the servant frowned in confusion. Whilst he believed that he had a good knowledge of the castle due to the never ending chores the prince had him running, he had no clue as to where they were.

"S_ino mihi sumo super suus somes quod mens." _Merlin gasped as he felt Claton muttering the spell. Immediately, the warlock could feel himself slipping into himself, the sorcerer gaining more power over his body as the spell was repeated. Knowing Claton was basically banishing the warlock from his own body, Merlin sped through his counter spells as quickly as he could manage, trying desperately to resist the feeling of being sucked down and under, darkness enveloping him completely. Feeling the suffocation of hope, Merlin stopped fighting, and was immediately overwhelmed by the sorcerer's essence.

**Reviews anyone? Love, like, hate, couldn't care less? Let me know! :)**

**Edit: Okay, after the review I just got for this chapter, I'm now debating whether to actually continue with it, people obviously aren't liking it and considering this is not the first time I've been told I'm writing Merlin OOC, so maybe I've just lost it and should stop. Sorry, rant over! That review just really got me down! If people aren't liking this, I'll just stop.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I cannot thank you enough for all of your support after the fiasco of the last chapter. It really touched me to see your reactions, and that you want this to continue, thank you so much! A special thanks to Emachinescat for your support, it really means a lot, honey!**

**Another huge thank you to MerlinStar for being an amazing beta, couldn't do this without you! *hug***

Arthur stretched his aching back painfully, wincing when he heard the bones crack in protest of spending the night balanced precariously on a stool. That seemed to have been a habit lately, the prince refusing many a night to return to his own chambers until he knew Merlin would make it through. As thoughts of his servant flickered through his head, the prince leapt to his feet, his gaze falling on the shut door. Swallowing apprehensively, Arthur slowly approached the door, listening hard. When no sound met his ears, he carefully pulled the key down and unlocked the door.

The second the key turned, the door sprung open and Merlin toppled out in a tangle of limbs. Eyebrows raised as his servant landed on his back, Arthur looked astonished at the boy's sudden arrival.

"What _were_ you doing, Merlin?"

"Leaning against the door. What are _you_ doing, Sire? How come my door was locked?"

"It must have just got stuck," Arthur lied, slipping the key up his sleeve. He didn't want Merlin to know that he had spent the night trying to watch over the boy, something he felt he had failed at judging by the fact he had obviously fallen asleep.

"Mmm hmm," Merlin responded, his tone apparent he didn't believe his master in the slightest. He couldn't remember much from the night before. He remembered Claton making him leave, and them arriving at the cave. After that was a blur, it was as if he hadn't really been there. Vague snippets randomly appeared in his mind, taunting him with the knowledge Claton had used Merlin's own magic to cast some very powerful spells indeed, but the meaning behind them escaped the boy. Then he had woken up in his bed again, his headache the only reminder it had not all been just a dream. Claton had made his presence felt already, but he had seemed to have backed off a bit for now, much to Merlin's relief. Knowing Arthur was still in Gaius' chambers; Merlin had sat himself down in front of the door, leaning back for support whilst he waited for the prince to officially let him out.

"So why are you here then, _Sire?"_ Arthur frowned at Merlin's tone; it was as if he knew more than he was letting on. But that was impossible, the door had quite clearly remained locked all night and Arthur was almost certain he hadn't made any noise that would have given away his presence.

"It may have escaped your notice, _Mer_lin, but the sun is fully up. Meaning you are late for work."

"Thought you told me to go away," Merlin muttered darkly, reminding the prince of their latest argument from the day before. In truth, Arthur had been so worried about what was wrong with Merlin he had completely forgotten his banishment of the servant.

"Now I'm telling you to hurry up," he responded, striding across the physician's chambers and pulling open the door. Striding out, Arthur paused momentarily to make sure there was no one around to witness his departure before speeding back to his chambers, taking the most complicated route he could think of so no one would know that the supposedly sick prince had spent the night elsewhere. He shuddered to imagine what Uther's reaction to _that _would be.

Watching Arthur leave, Merlin couldn't help but frown. He knew full well the prince had been lying to him, the fact he had seen Arthur here during the night was a testimony to that. But what exactly was the prince trying to hide? Being something of an expert in keeping things hidden, Merlin had become quite apt at reading people during his time in Camelot, but whilst he knew Arthur was hiding _something_, the warlock couldn't for the life of him figure out why Arthur had locked him in his room and then not admitted to it.

"_Time to put the plan in action, boy." _Claton suddenly invaded Merlin's mind in a rush, driving any other thoughts from his head with his sheer presence. What unnerved Merlin most of all was how much stronger the sorcerer seemed.

"If you think for a second I am going to help you, then you are even more deluded than I thought." The second the words had left Merlin's mouth, his head felt like it was going to explode as Claton reacted. Seeing stars, Merlin tried not to cry out as the pain slowly resided, leaving him breathless and shaken.

"_If you want that to stop, then yes, you will help me."_

"I won't let you do anything to hurt Arthur, or Camelot. It doesn't matter what you do to me."

Instead of immediately reacting, Claton paused for a moment, simmering. Then suddenly, before Merlin had the chance to react, he raised the warlock's hand and uttered a short command, making the stool Arthur had sat on the previous night burst suddenly into flames. Yelling out in surprise, Merlin hastily quenched the flames, before standing still in the middle of the room, shaking slightly and uncertain about what he should do.

"_If you don't help me, then that will be your precious prince. Now, we are going to see Arthur."_

Against his will, Merlin once more found his feet begin to move, heading down a route so familiar to him he was sure he could do it with his eyes shut. For one moment, he caught sight of Gwen in the distance, but Claton moved them into a corner, leaving the servant girl confused as to whether she had seen her friend or not.

Merlin was furious. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He knew helping Claton would only spell disaster for Camelot and for Arthur, so maybe it was easier just to give in to the man. At least that way, it may only potentially be Arthur to suffer. Yet whilst that seemed to make sense to a small, cold detached part of the warlock, he knew in his heart he could never live with himself. Whilst the prince was still alive, Merlin had something left to fight for; he could still protect his destiny. And if said destiny was alive and fighting, there was just a chance Claton could still be defeated. For the first time since they had left, Merlin was glad Gaius was out of the castle. He really didn't want to know what Claton had planned for the man who had killed him.

Swallowing hard, Merlin blinked when he found himself staring directly at Arthur's door.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, teeth gritted. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him to resist, yet he knew he could not endanger Arthur any further, not until he had sussed out what Claton was planning. The warlock was only thankful he had found a way to shield his thoughts from the sorcerer. It would definitely make planning a lot easier.

"_Enter in your usual way." _Trying to hide his smirk at Claton's first blunder, Merlin raised his fist and respectfully knocked on Arthur's door, waiting patiently until he was told to enter. Hoping that Claton didn't register the surprised look on Arthur's face when he realised it was his own manservant who had so respectfully knocked, Merlin stepped quietly into the room, closing the door gently behind him.

"Sire," he added, bowing his head slightly. By carefully monitoring Claton's reactions, Merlin was thankful to discover the maniac actually believed he was this respectful to his master the whole time. Trying to warn Arthur with his eyes, Merlin bit his lip, hoping the prince wasn't about to give anything away. Not sure what he was supposed to do next, Merlin simply remained standing there, locked into a staring contest with the prince and wondering who would break free first. It was clear Arthur was still expecting some answers regarding Merlin's behaviour the day before.

"_Tell him you're leaving."_

"Arthur… I have to go." Dutifully carrying out Claton's orders, Merlin tried to ignore the throbbing growing in intensity behind his eyes. He had to make Claton believe that Arthur thought he was truly leaving, whilst at the same time letting the prince know something was wrong. Time to see if he really could manipulate what Claton saw to the extreme.

"Why?" Breaking the eye contact for the first time since his servant had arrived, Arthur watched the boy in disbelief. He was extremely pale and his eyes seemed to be pleading, yet the stubborn set of his jaw line meant Arthur knew immediately Merlin would not back down in this, whatever _this _was.

"Let's just say I'm making good on my oath from the caves of Krilla." At Arthur's small frown of confusion, Merlin allowed himself a slight smirk. As the pain gave another throb, he turned around and walked out on his master, not sparing a backwards glance at Arthur's disbelieving expression.

The moment the door shut, Merlin felt himself thrown to his knees. Pressing his palms against his eyes, the warlock screwed his face up, trying to alleviate some of the pain.

"Stop it!"

"_I told you not to warn him or I would kill him."_

"I didn't!" Noting how close his voice sounded to begging, Merlin bit his lip, trying not to cry out. His vision wavering alarmingly, the warlock focused all of his attention on the hated voice echoing within his mind, knowing Claton would not allow him the sanctuary of unconsciousness.

"_What did you mean by the cave of Krilla then, boy?"_

"It was months ago. We had a fight and I swore I would stop being his servant the moment we returned to Camelot. Please, stop!"

"_You better not be lying to me, boy."_

"You're in my head, how can I lie to you?" Gritting his teeth against the pain, Merlin forced himself to his feet as the intensity died away a little. Good, Claton believed him. That at least should buy Arthur some more time.

"_Move." _Whether he wanted to or not, Merlin felt his feet begin to move on their own accord, this time down a route not entirely familiar to the servant. Breathing heavily, Merlin let his mind wander as his feet continued on their journey, desperately trying to think of something from a happier time as a distraction from the nightmare that threatened to suffocate him.

Sprinting down the corridor, sword in hand, Arthur skidded to a stop outside Gaius' chambers and wrenched the door open. A quick glance inside told him all he needed to know: Merlin was not here. Turning on his heel, the prince quickly sped back the way he came, frantically trying to wrack his brains for where Merlin would go. As he slowed to a stop outside his own door, Arthur felt a sense of dread settle on him as he realised he was taking the same route he had pounded many times the first time he had lost his servant. Spotting a figure in the distance that might just be able to help, Arthur shot off again, ignoring the fact he was completely out of breath.

"Gwen! Gwen, wait! Have you seen Merlin?" Ignoring the maid's puzzled glance, Arthur searched her face pleadingly, desperately wanting her to say yes.

"No, I'm sorry, Sire. I thought he was with you."

"Damn him! Don't do this, Merlin. Where are you?"

"Is there a problem, Milord?" Watching the prince in concern as he anxiously twirled his sword, barely even aware of his actions, Gwen couldn't help but echo Arthur's previous thoughts. She hadn't seen him this worked up since Claton had kidnapped Merlin a couple of months ago.

"Yes," Arthur responded, spinning to face her again. "Something is very wrong and he can't seem to tell me."

"How do you know he was trying to warn you then?" Even more confused now, Gwen found herself subconsciously biting her lip as she took in Arthur's agitated posture.

"The caves of Krilla," Arthur muttered deep under his breath, quickly continuing when he saw Gwen's strained face, "we were attacked by some bandits and I was injured. I told Merlin to run, but the idiot instead swore that he would never leave me in danger whilst he was still alive. He just bought it up again now and said he was making good on that promise."

"So why can't he just tell you what is wrong?"

"I don't know," Arthur cried, his eyes searching the corridor frantically, as if he was hoping Merlin was simply going to pop out of a tapestry. "Something has been wrong for days, yet he won't tell me what!"

"Milord?" Gwen questioned, slightly concerned about the ranting of the pacing prince seemed to be doing. It was unlike Arthur to look this out of control of a situation, and that scared the maid. She, along with many others within the castle, had always trusted Arthur to be the one who could come up with a solution to anything. Yet the servant knew to see him this anxious meant something must be very wrong indeed. And if it was to do with Merlin, it meant there was no one left to talk any sense into the prince, causing her to worry even more that he might do something rash; he certainly seemed to be in that sort of mood.

"Milord, please, calm down." It was harder to say who was more startled when Gwen suddenly gripped Arthur's arm, forcing the prince to stop pacing.

"Now, Sire," the maid continued, amazed by her own bravery, but her concern for both of the boys overcoming any usual shyness. "You don't know where Merlin, who has been acting strange, is, am I right?" At Arthur's nod, she continued, thankful she was at least getting through to the prince to some degree.

"Then I suggest you start by searching the usual servant routes, which is where he will go if he doesn't want you to find him." Gazing at Gwen as if he had only just seen her, Arthur smiled. Of course. It's easy to hide from a prince, or any noble for that matter within the castle. You simply go down a route they wouldn't even think for a second of taking.

"Thanks, Gwen. I owe you!" Speeding off, Arthur was around the corner before Gwen could so much as blink, thankful he was gone so as not to see the blush staining her cheeks. In a much more confident mood, Gwen strolled off, humming merrily to herself. The aura of danger seemed to have passed the moment Arthur had relaxed, meaning Gwen was quite content to go and find her mistress without any fears. She had witnessed herself their argument on the training field the other day. No doubt something like that had happened again and Merlin had just wanted to get away from his master for a while. If she was honest, Gwen didn't blame him.

Within a matter of moments, Arthur knew for sure that whilst Gwen may have been sure that was where Merlin would normally hide from him, she was wrong on this occasion. Apart from a few servants, one of whom had practically screamed when she saw the prince round the corner, the hallways were deserted. Certainly no lanky, black haired servant hiding down here.

Grinding his teeth together in a mixture of worry and anger, Arthur turned on his heel and marched back the way he had come, subconsciously avoiding the routes he knew his knights would be patrolling on the lookout for any sort of threat. Coming to a standstill, Arthur couldn't help but ponder if he should ask them whether they had seen the illusive servant or not. It would at least give him a starting point.

Striding off again, Arthur's step regained his usual confidence; having a direction to go in made the prince feel much more certain. He hated being out of control of a situation, and the fact it was his servant who had left him feeling like this only added to his annoyance. Beforehand, it had only been in his father who had made him feel like he had failed in achieving his goals. Now it seemed his damn servant had also developed the ability to make the prince feel extremely guilty, despite the fact he had done all he could to look after the stubborn boy. It wasn't _his _fault Merlin refused to let anyone help, especially not the prince. It was almost as if he was scared of letting anyone get close to him, and that instantly made Arthur wonder what else he could be hiding.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you once again for all of those lovely reviews, they mean the absolute world.**

**Another huge thank you MerlinStar for being an awesome beta!**

Merlin groaned as he felt himself take back the control of his body. Sitting up blearily, the servant realised they were in the same cave as the previous night, the fragments of memory from the two occasions piecing together enough for him to know that Claton had once more used powerful magic. Glancing around the area, Merlin couldn't see anything out of place, no clue as to what the sorcerer had done, yet he couldn't help but get a strong feeling of foreboding. Whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't be pleasant for anyone involved.

"_Time to go."_

"Bye then," Merlin muttered, already climbing to his feet as he spoke. He knew full well that goading the man was foolish, but at this point in time the warlock honestly didn't care. He didn't feel like he had a lot left to lose. Besides, if Claton killed him, then he would no longer be in possession of his body, meaning he would be killing himself at the same time. Despite being half hopeful the sorcerer would snap, Merlin knew full well that there was no way Claton would be goaded into doing that. All of his plans and preparation to take over the warlock had been too great to ruin it all in fury.

Making his way out of the cave, Merlin blundered through the twisting passages; not at all sure of the route he was supposed to be taking. As the pair stumbled out into the well lit corridors beyond, the servant glanced down at himself and grimaced. He had no idea how long he had been in the cave for, but the amount of dirt covering his clothes made him wonder if it had been years. Running a hand distractedly through his hair, Merlin pulled a face when he felt the dirt settling in. What he would do for a good wash... yet somehow he didn't believe that was top of Claton's agenda.

"_Return to the prince." _Smirking softly, Merlin couldn't help but answer back. If he didn't stop answering back for Arthur, there was no way he was going to stop for Claton.

"Hope you're ready to die then, because he is going to kill me for what I said earlier. I thought you wanted him to think I was leaving."

"_That was then," _the silky reply sounded automatically, causing Merlin to falter in his step. The tone of Claton's voice made the warlock shudder; he obviously had something big planned. Cursing himself for not realising sooner there was no way the sorcerer would have really let Arthur escape unscathed considering their previous encounters, Merlin tried to resist Claton's prod to get him moving again.

"_I know you warned him somehow, boy. You've been getting far too cocky. Time to eliminate one problem." _Digging his heels in firmly, Merlin wondered whether Claton could feel his racing heart.

"I told you, I won't let you harm him. _Rid mihi illae malum presentia_." With a flash of his eyes, Merlin braced himself against his spell. He had hoped that directing it to rid him of Claton, it would have no effect on the warlock himself, only to be proven wrong when his feet suddenly left the ground and he was thrown backwards, sliding down the wall with a groan.

"_Nice try. You can't rid yourself of me, Merlin. Not until I see fit."_

"_Occurro is malum presentia_!" Merlin suddenly yelled, no longer caring who might possibly be around to hear him. Right, so he couldn't get rid of Claton completely, but surely there was something he could do to restrict the sorcerer's power? It was his body, after all. By the sudden cry of outrage as Claton tried to counteract the spell, Merlin let out a sigh of relief as the sorcerer's presence dwindled. He could still feel him there, trying to regain his strength, but for the moment at least, it was Merlin who was fully in command.

Setting off at a sprint, Merlin pelted towards the prince's chambers, knowing this may be his only chance to warn Arthur. If Claton regained control, the warlock was not sure the spell would work for a second time. Claton seemed to have an annoying habit of making loopholes work to his advantage. Skidding to a stop outside, Merlin threw himself through the wood, making Arthur jump and spin around, his sword drawn.

"Merlin!" the prince cried, not sure how he should feel at his servant's abrupt arrival. Part of him was glad to see the boy, knowing he was hopefully here to explain his strange messages from before, but the part of him that was still the servant's master wasn't sure how he was supposed to act considering Merlin's earlier behaviour.

"Arthur, listen to me, I don't have much time. What happened in the woods, everything that has happened since, it hasn't been me…"

"Merlin, you're talking nonsense again. Of course it has been you, I saw you. Who else could it be?"

"Listen to me!" Merlin yelled at his master, feeling Claton's strength beginning to return in a rush of power. The sorcerer was furious, and powerful. Squeezing his eyes shut, Merlin took a calming breath, trying to maintain the spell for as long as possible. Arthur, however, had other ideas.

"Remember who you are addressing, Merlin." His tone was cold and furious, yet Arthur couldn't help but feel confused. Merlin was close to panicking – he could tell just by the posture of the servant – yet there was a look of utmost concentration on his face. For the first time in a while, Arthur had no idea as to what was going on.

Feeling his breath catch in his throat, Merlin could sense his eyes were beginning to turn gold. Whilst not back to his full capabilities, there was no denying that Claton had regained some of his previous control over both boy and magic.

"No," Merlin whispered, his voice hoarse. Slowly lifting his head, he caught the prince's gaze, knowing by the way Arthur stumbled back, horrified, that his suspicions had been right. Claton was back in control of his magic.

"_Say goodbye," _the sorcerer sneered, raising Merlin's arm. Fighting with every ounce of his being, Merlin shot Arthur a pleading look, hoping the prince was going to listen to him.

"Sire, please-," Before he could finish his sentence, the warlock felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing around his throat, cutting off his air supply and stopping his words. Falling to his knees, Merlin automatically clutched his hands to his throat, causing Arthur to hurry forward, concerned. Feeling Claton's satisfaction, Merlin lodged one thought in his head, not caring whether the sorcerer saw it or not. Time to protect his destiny. As his own arm levelled itself at the prince, the loyal servant sprung into action.

"Duck!" Yelling as loud as he could, Merlin only prayed Arthur wasn't going to question him this time. Luck seemed to be on the warlock's side as Arthur dropped without a second's delay. It was just in time. Erupting from Merlin's fingertips, the fire shot across the room, catching the curtains alight. Hastily grabbing the water jug, Arthur frantically quenched the flames before they could catch, his mind whirring. Was this seriously happening? Whipping his head around, the prince stared at the warlock, his stomach sinking when he took in the burning gold in Merlin's eyes.

"Merlin?"

"Move!" Once move, instinct took over and Arthur threw himself sideways as the table flipped towards him, only stopping when it smashed into the wall with a resounding crash.

"Stop it!" Merlin suddenly cried, perplexing Arthur even further.

"I'm not doing anything!" he yelled in response, unable to see the servant from where he was lying. "_You're_ the one using magic!"

"Not _you_… roll!" Finding his body was beginning to respond to Merlin's demands without even thinking about it, Arthur did just that as the floorboards ripped themselves out from under where he had just been lying.

"Merlin! What are you doing?"

"I can't stop him!" More confused than he had ever been in his life, Arthur jumped to his feet and looked again at the warlock. His hands were gripping his hair tightly, almost as if an internal battle was raging. Lowering his hands, Arthur took one look at the burning gold before noticing the tears streaming down Merlin's otherwise pale face. Whatever was happening, Merlin didn't want this. Noticing the hand beginning to stretch out again, Arthur scrambled forwards as another jet of flames, purple this time, shot over the prince's head. Crouched by Merlin's feet, Arthur grabbed his friend by the knees, bringing him crashing down to the floor.

Pinning his hands to the floor, Arthur stared in disbelief at the boy he had begun to call his friend. Before he could say anything though, Merlin got there first.

"I… I can't stop him. Arthur? Arthur! Please, you have to help me…" Growing concerned at the fact Merlin didn't seem to notice the prince was right next to him, Arthur felt himself pale.

"Can't stop who? Merlin? Merlin, look at me. What is going on?" Suddenly, Merlin breathed in deeply, his whole body seeming to go slack as he did so. Looking him in the eye, Arthur wasn't sure whether he should feel relieved or not to see the normal blue looking back at him, especially as the warlock was definitely looking directly at the prince.

"Kill me."

"What?" Sitting back on his heels, Arthur felt his mind reeling. _Now _what was Merlin talking about?

"Arthur, listen to me. I don't have much time before he takes back over. It's Claton, he… argh, stop it!" Suddenly jerking away as if burnt, Merlin once more tensed up, blue and gold flickering in quick succession in his irises. For a moment, Arthur forgot to breathe as he watched the mesmerising colours, snapping back to reality as Merlin once more relaxed, the blue firmly dominate.

"The only way to stop him is to kill me. Please, Arthur, you must do this. You have to stop him, before he kills everyone. Please. Arthur!" The last sound tearing from Merlin's lips as a scream, Arthur sprung to his feet as Merlin's eyes once more turned gold. As a guard began to hammer on his door, Arthur did the only thing he could think of. Grabbing his sword from where it was strewn across the floor, the prince sharply bought the hilt down, effectively knocking his servant out cold. Just as Arthur straightened up again, the door burst open, making the prince raise his sword threateningly again.

"Leon," he acknowledged, too confused by everything to bother with the formalities of titles. Taking Arthur's lead, Sir Leon frowned questioningly at his prince.

"What has been going on? What happened to Merlin?" His eyes taking in the state of the room and the unconscious servant, Leon didn't notice the tiniest smile flicker onto Arthur's face. Not many of his knights would know Merlin by name.

"There was a sorcerer attack. He has gone out of the window. I suggest you round up the knights and pursue him." Unnerving himself by how easily he could lie to one of the men he trusted most, the prince glanced away, ashamed at not being able to tell him the truth.

"Of course, Sire." As Leon strode from the room, his cloak billowing impressively behind him, Arthur knew immediately the knight had not believed him, only respected him too much to question it. Feeling an overwhelming rush of respect for Leon's loyalty, Arthur turned back to the problem in hand. What to do with Merlin? They both had a lot of explaining to do.

Grabbing the limp form, Arthur dragged him over to the bed, propping the servant up against the wooden posts. A quick glance around the ransacked room revealed what the prince was looking for. Hating himself for doing this to his friend, Arthur seized the end of the rope and tugged, making it slither across the upturned table towards him. Not knowing what else to do, Arthur firmly tied Merlin's hands either side of the bed post, knowing that if it was the sorcerer who was present when the boy awoke, the rope would do nothing.

"Sorry," he muttered to the still form, needing to break the silence to save his own sanity if nothing else. "It's for your own good, you know. You should have told me."

Now having nothing to do but wait until Merlin returned to consciousness, Arthur set about tidying the room, determined to at least set some things right again. Heaving the table upright again, the prince had a sudden idea. Shutting the doors firmly, it took all of his strength to drag the heavy wood the length of the room and plant it against the door, knowing he would at least have some privacy now. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Arthur stood back panting, stretching his back gratefully.

"Arthur?" The voice was no more than a whisper, yet the prince spun sharply around as if bitten, grabbing his sword the moment his eyes fell on Merlin.

"Is it you?" Arthur barked out sharply. Part of him was reeling at the conversation he was having, asking his servant if it was really him. Only a matter of moments ago this whole idea would have been surreal to the previously oblivious prince.

"It's me, Arthur, it's me. He…" Shifting his position, Merlin seemed to realise what Arthur had done, and to the prince's bemusement, he smiled gratefully. "He has gone for now."

"What? Is he… in your head or something?"

"Don't really know," Merlin sighed, leaning back against the bed. "I guess so; he is getting stronger the whole time. I can't hold him off."

"Why didn't you tell me, Merlin?"

"He said he would kill you if I warned you in any way," Merlin responded softly, locking eyes with Arthur.

"Is that what you were talking about earlier, with the caves? You were trying to warn me?" As Merlin nodded, Arthur sighed deeply. He should have known. Even with being possessed, Merlin was still trying to protect him. But considering what had just happened, Arthur couldn't help but wonder precisely _what _his servant was attempting to protect him from. As if sensing Arthur's mood, Merlin glanced away, biting his lip with indecision. He knew full well that he could easily explain away his sudden use of magic by blaming it on Claton, but a strong part of him didn't want too. If Arthur knew he had magic, he might trust his servant enough to use it to help them defeat the madman again. Turning his gaze back to the prince, Merlin suddenly came to a decision.

"That's not the only thing I haven't told you, Arthur. It wasn't just Claton that made the table flip and everything else."

"I know," Arthur responded, suddenly feeling weary, running a hand wearily across the back of his neck, glancing away from Merlin as he spoke. He couldn't say why, but he didn't particularly have to want to face the boy. After all, this was not how he had imagined this conversation going at all.

"You… know?" Merlin asked, blinking in surprise as his voice wavered slightly. After deliberating for months whether to tell Arthur or not, it had never once cross his mind that the prince may not be as oblivious as Merlin thought. But more pressing than that were the questions now bouncing around his mind. How could Arthur possibly know? For how long had he known? Was he going to turn Merlin in? The thoughts making his head pound, Merlin squirmed uncomfortably. He was glad about what Arthur had done, it meant he had believed him about Claton, but having this conversation with Uther's son whilst being tied to a bed was not the way Merlin had imagined it. He had been more hoping for an option which involved giving him a place to run to. Even so, the very fact that he was still alive to have the conversation was giving him a small amount of hope. Out of all the times he had pictured the scenario; more than once Arthur had just run him through there and then, not giving the warlock a chance to explain.

"Yes, Merlin, I know. I have done for a while, although no one else knows I know. I'm assuming at least Gaius and your mother also know?" At Merlin's small nod, as if ashamed, Arthur continued, thankful he could now get everything off from his chest. Although in honesty he had been hoping Merlin would have told him himself, under very different circumstances to the present ones. He had been getting to the stage of wondering if they were ever going to get around to talking about the secret that his servant had been hiding ever since they had met. Despite everything that was happening, a small part of Arthur couldn't help but feel relieved. At least now he didn't have to pretend.

"How did you find out?" Merlin whispered, wondering if his voice sounded as shaky to the prince as it did to him. Gaius had never said anything about Arthur knowing, and there was no time Merlin could remember that he had let anything slip whilst being in the prince's presence. His mentor had driven home more than once how important it was to keep his secret just that... a secret.

"It wasn't long after we returned from the cave. Gaius had to pop out and your mother was going with him, they were after some special herb or something to help your fever. Anyway, I said I would stay with you, and in the middle of being in a fever induced state of unconsciousness, you rearranged the room."

"I did what?" Merlin whispered; horror-stricken. He had wanted to tell Arthur himself, not have the prince find out that way. One glance at the prince's face made him remember why. If he had been the one to tell Arthur, the prince couldn't accuse him of not trusting him, despite how long it would have taken for his servant to come clean. With it happening like this, Merlin knew full well what Arthur would be thinking. When precisely was his servant going to tell him that he had magic? And if Arthur really had known since Merlin had been unconscious, any hope that the man might have had that Merlin would come clean would have been destroyed by now.

"Gaius never told me that."

"He didn't know. It took me all the time until they got returned to put things back the way they were; I didn't want them to know what you had done." Finally glancing back at the restrained boy, Arthur found he was not able to meet Merlin's gaze. He couldn't look into those eyes, knowing that with barely a flicker of thought, Merlin could turn them golden, showing the power he had within his skinny form.

"What are you going to do?" His voice cracking, Merlin stared up at his master, fear radiating out of his, thankfully blue, eyes. He only hoped that if Arthur had known for this long and not done anything so far, then maybe there was hope. It wasn't only himself that he was worried for though. If Arthur reacted badly, Merlin had already admitted that Gaius knew. He was sure his mother would be safe, she wasn't in the kingdom after all, and Merlin knew his master well enough to know that however angry he was, Arthur wouldn't go that far. The physician, however, was a different matter entirely. If it had just been his life on the line, Merlin would have been more forceful, demanding a clear response from the prince. But he couldn't push it, not with Gaius being in question as well.

"Isn't it obvious?" the prince asked quietly, still finding he was unable to meet Merlin's eyes. With a shaky laugh, Merlin attempted to motion to his hands, tightly bound behind him.

"Not really."

"Sire, the king wants to see you." The sudden hammering on the door made both prince and servant jump violently. Striding over to the door, Arthur attempted to shift the table again.

"Allow me," Merlin said quietly. Without a word, his eyes flashed gold and the table floated upright, softly landing in its normal position as if it weighed no more than a feather. Nodding his thanks, Arthur made to open the door, not trusting his voice in the face of obvious magic.

"What about me?" Merlin asked, once more shifting his position. He was already beginning to feel the hardness of the floor.

"I'm sorry, Merlin," Arthur whispered, yanking the door open and striding out, shutting it behind him again.

"Arthur?" Merlin called, unable to stop the shaking in his voice. The door did not open again, but Merlin shrunk into himself as he heard the key turn in the door, locking him in. Arthur now knew as well as the warlock himself, if Merlin wanted to leave, none of the prince's precautions would stop him. It was the act itself that caused a few tears to leak out of the corners of Merlin's eyes. Arthur didn't trust him. Knowing that he would be able to escape with a simple flash of his eyes, Merlin leant back against the bed. He was not going anywhere. He wasn't going to give Arthur any more reason to mistrust him. He was simply going to sit here, tied to a bed, and wait for the prince to return, even if it was with the guards in tow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much once again for all of those lovely reviews and to MerlinStar for being an awesome beta as usual!**

Pausing outside his door, Arthur ignored the guard standing before him. He only hoped the man hadn't heard Merlin's pleading cry as Arthur had locked him in. Why he had done it, the prince had no idea; it wasn't as if it would stop Merlin anyway. Breathing in deeply through his nose, Arthur steeled himself, preparing himself for whatever his father wanted this time. He really couldn't be dealing with Uther now as well. The only dilemma he had was whether to tell the king or not Claton was still alive, in a manner of speaking.

Striding through the corridors regally, Arthur made his decision. He would not tell the king. For if he was to explain the manner in which Claton was still alive, he knew the king would have Merlin killed before he could say a word. Holding his head high and trying to hide the guilt he was feeling at leaving Merlin the way he had, Arthur Pendragon burst into the Great Hall with a sense of purpose.

"Father," Arthur stated, announcing his presence to Uther, who was standing at the end of the room, not even turning to acknowledge his son's presence. "I believe you sent for me?"

"Arthur, yes. How is the training of your knights coming along?" Curious as to the sudden interest in the training, Arthur frowned at what he could see of the back of his father's head.

"As well as I could hope for, Sire. Why?"

"Rumours have reached the kingdom. Possibility of a mass sorcerer attack building on the Northern border, but our informants have been unable to give specifics. They have been led to believe something big is about to happen, however. We must be prepared"

Swallowing nervously, Arthur only hoped his father couldn't hear how fast his heart was beating from the other side of the room. Typical. The only time Uther had any sort of idea about something magical, and it coincided with Arthur himself finding out his own manservant was a sorcerer, and by the sounds of it, being possessed too by one who wanted to kill them all.

"Rumours, Sire?" the prince said reluctantly, knowing his father was expecting him to say something. He only hoped his voice hadn't sounded as shaky to Uther as it had done to himself.

"Indeed. I want you to increase their training from tomorrow onwards. We will show these magic users that their tricks are no match for the steel of Camelot. If the rumours can be confirmed, or, for that matter, if they can't, you are to ride out at the end of the week and eliminate this threat once and for all. Dismissed."

"Sire." Bowing his head to the king, regardless of the fact he was facing the other way, Arthur quickly left, suddenly feeling anxious to get back to Merlin. He knew the boy was scared, not only of Claton, but of the prince as well. Of what Arthur was going to do now he had admitted he knew. In a way, Arthur wished he hadn't said anything and that Merlin wasn't going to have told him. Not yet, anyway. Not until Claton was dealt with once and for all. Merlin didn't need the threat of being executed hanging over him whilst trying to fight a sorcerer who wanted him more than dead. The only good thing was, Arthur mused, the corridors flying past as he quickly marched back to his chambers, was that as long as no one was around, Merlin would be able to use magic to fight the twisted man, without having to hide it from the prince as well. Considering Claton's attitude to the pair of them, Arthur couldn't help but think that that might be something that would be extremely helpful.

Pushing the door, Arthur frowned momentarily when the wood refused to move, before realising and pulling the key from the inside of his tunic. Taking a deep breath, the prince turned the key in the lock. Bracing himself, Arthur strode into his room, momentarily stunned when he caught sight of the warlock still sitting on his floor. If he was honest, he had expected Merlin to have fled. If the positions had been reversed, Arthur was not completely sure that he would have stuck around to find out the outcome, especially when it could have meant certain death.

"Sire?" Merlin whispered, his head snapping forward the second he heard the key in the door. The muscle in his cheek clenching, Arthur curtly nodded to his servant, not trusting his voice. He had just lied to his father, the king, for his servant. The servant who was the very thing he had been taught to hate, fear and, ultimately, destroy. Not at all comfortable with having the sorcerer restrained in his own room, Arthur quickly drew his dagger from his belt and crossed over to the bed.

Immediately flinching back as Arthur drew the weapon, Merlin felt himself shrink into the bedpost as the prince advanced on him. With the sudden threat of danger, Merlin felt another presence awaken once more within him, prepared to react to the threat. Somehow, being knocked out had weakened Claton considerably, but the danger advancing meant the sorcerer's self preservation had kick started him back into power.

"No," Merlin suddenly whispered, the fear in his voice causing Arthur to falter. Suddenly, the warlock's eyes flashed gold and the ropes slid off. The moment the restraints had disappeared and Arthur had paused, Claton seemed to fade again. He obviously hadn't regained his strength properly from Arthur's sword, nor Merlin's previous spell.

"Merlin?" Arthur questioned warily. He wasn't sure who he was addressing any more.

"It's fine," Merlin responded, rubbing his wrists as he pulled his legs around him, crossing them in front of him and leaning back once more on the bed post, only slightly more comfortable than before. . "He was trying to come back. I thought if there was no threat it may keep him away a bit longer."

Perching on the edge of the table, Arthur scrutinised the boy carefully. He looked dreadful.

"When was the last time you slept properly, Merlin?" the prince asked softly, not missing how ashamed Merlin suddenly looked. When the boy remained silent, Arthur pressed the matter.

"Not since before the cave."

"Hell, Merlin, why are you back at work?"

"Because I can't take it anymore!" Merlin suddenly yelled, climbing to his feet and crossing the room to glare out of the window, trying to hide the tears pooling in his eyes.

"I haven't escaped him for months! He was the first person I ever attacked using magic, and do you know how that feels? Knowing you possess something that can be used as a lethal weapon? Then came the dreams the first time, night after night of watching you die and knowing I could do nothing about it. And now this? Even before the forest, he was partially back; the nightmares were getting worse. Maybe I'm pathetic, maybe I'm weak, that's why I'm the only one suffering from this, but there comes a time, Arthur, when even I can't take it!"

"You think you are the only one suffering here, Merlin?" Arthur asked; his voice deadly quiet. Was his servant really that naïve not to notice what the prince had also been going through?

"You think you're the only one who has been having the dreams? You saw me leave Gaius' chambers, did he tell you why? Did he tell you how I've been sneaking in for the last few weeks for sleeping draughts so my father doesn't notice I haven't been sleeping due to nightmares?"

"Arthur, I-," Whatever Merlin was going to say, however, was lost as the prince suddenly exploded.

"You're lucky; you can blame it all on Claton. I've been stuck for weeks knowing someone I considered to be a friend is in fact a sorcerer! You've been lying to me ever since we met, Merlin! You say you are protecting me, but from what? Yourself? Having to decide between you and my father? Having to know every second of the day you are the very thing I've been taught to detest, to _fear_, even."

"I didn't choose this, Arthur!" Merlin suddenly yelled back, a wave of hurt crashing over him. He should have known this was coming; Arthur had been far too calm earlier for the servant to think he had truly accepted what he was. It was just a matter of how badly he reacted. Swallowing slightly, Merlin could not stop his eyes momentarily flickering towards the door.

"You chose not to tell me!" Arthur responded, just as heatedly as he glared at his servant.

"Because you might have _killed_ me!"

"Do you really trust me that little, Merlin?" the prince asked, his voice suddenly dropping as he too turned away slightly from his servant. Never mind Merlin not knowing how he was going to react, Arthur himself didn't know how he was feeling.

"Does the fact that I disobeyed my father and risked my life to come and save you mean nothing?" As Merlin dropped his eyes to the floor, clearly uncertain of how to answer the prince, Arthur felt his torrent of emotions come pouring forth. He had kept this bottled up for weeks; telling himself Merlin was too weak to be able to deal with it, that he had to give the boy time to come to terms with what the pair of them had been put through thanks to Claton. But now, here they were, and judging by the defiant stance the servant was supporting, there was nothing weak about him. Arthur couldn't help but wonder just how much he had underestimated his servant.

When Merlin didn't answer, Arthur felt the hurt drive into him. It was more than clear now how Merlin truly felt, and trust was obviously not something working both ways in their friendship – if he could call it one any longer. Swinging his arm back, Arthur didn't give the warlock a chance to react before his fist went flying, connecting hard with Merlin's cheek and knocking the boy to the floor. Spread eagled at Arthur's feet, Merlin stared up at his master in shock, barely noticing the gloating feeling emanating from Claton as he witnessed the whole spectacle. Looking up at him, Merlin felt his own emotions come forth.

Did the prince honestly believe he had the choice in the matter? Did he not realise how long Merlin had wanted to tell him, only had been too afraid of losing Arthur's friendship? As Arthur bent down, although whether to help him up or hit him again, the warlock was not sure, Merlin felt his eyes flash unexpectedly as the prince went flying, hitting the wall hard. Climbing to his own feet, Merlin hurried forward to try and help him up, but as Arthur flinched away, the warlock suddenly realised what Arthur already knew. That hadn't been Claton; that had all been down to Merlin. A small cry of horror escaping from him, Merlin did the only thing he could think of. He ran.

Pelting at full speed down the corridor, Merlin barely noticed as Claton suddenly took back over, causing him to change direction abruptly and shoot off down a different passageway altogether.

"_That went well,"_ the sorcerer began conversationally as the pair burst into the cave yet again. His hands on his knees, Merlin bent over, gasping for breath. He couldn't believe he had used magic on Arthur for no other reason than to get him back for hitting him. As Claton made another mocking comment, Merlin came to a decision. If this was the way things were going to be with the prince from now on, he could at least rid him of the problem of Claton.

"You have three seconds to get out of my head, before I make you." The menacing tone in the warlock's voice made Claton pause and actually listen to what he was saying. As quick as Merlin tried to stop him from seeing the thought that flickered momentarily out of his control, he wasn't quick enough.

"_Oh no you don't." _Casting a quick spell, Merlin felt himself fall over. Landing with a thud, the warlock made to stand again, but found to his absolute horror he couldn't move.

"What have you done?"

"_I didn't go through all of this so you could kill _yourself_. You may feel like you have nothing left to live for, boy, but I, on the other hand. Let's just say I need you a little longer. After that, feel free. Oh, and Merlin? Your magic only will work for me, so don't bother trying to counteract the spell either."_

Ignoring what Claton said, Merlin frantically tried to summon his magic to help him, but soon realised Claton was telling the truth. For the first time since Claton had returned, the young warlock was truly terrified. And judging by the smugness he could feel spiralling up from his soul, Claton knew. He also seemed aware that Merlin's thoughts about ridding himself of Claton at the cost of his own life had not been serious, but that the warlock had been so caught up in desperation about what he could do to try and set things right; he was thinking anything and everything. No matter what happened, he knew he still had to protect his destiny, even if Arthur hated him. And for that to happen, he needed to be alive.

"Let me go," Merlin begged, desperately trying to feel his toes again. To his surprise, Claton gave him the answer he wanted.

"_It's about time I made my proper come back. And as the prince won't be looking for you for a while considering your dear parting, I reckon now is as good a time as any."_

Rising Merlin to his feet, Claton somehow managed to both keep the boy paralysed and control his movements at the same time.

"_This is where you come into it, Merlin." _Beginning to chant in a deep voice, Merlin shuddered as he felt his magic roar into life, completely out of his control. Mixing with Claton's own magic, the sorcerer continued to chant, seemingly not noticing the violent shivering coming from his host. As a trickle of blood crept out of Merlin's nose, Claton stopped. With a final command, he tore himself free.

With an agonising scream, Merlin felt the burn on his chest erupt in an inferno of pain as Claton separated the two of them. Falling to his knees, the warlock was only vaguely aware he had control of his body again before a dark shape began to materialise in front of him. Struggling to stay conscious, Merlin peered blearily up at the figure in front of him.

"No," he whispered hoarsely, trying to ignore the spinning of the cave. Raising his hand, the warlock muttered the first spell that came into his head. Ignoring the darkness beginning to take hold, Merlin could only watch as Claton casually deflected the spell with an ease Merlin knew was new for the man.

"Thanks for the power up." Claton smirked down at the weakened boy at his feet. He had not only taken himself out of Merlin, but captured some of the very essence that was the boy. Merlin's incredible raw talent, whilst still in the young warlock's possession, was now also Claton's own. Barking a short command, the sorcerer swirled his hand in the air and four identical blue bands appeared out of nothingness.

Realising in an instant what they were, Merlin tried to scramble backwards, knowing his magic wasn't strong enough to go against Claton, not considering the state the last spell had left him in. It was as if he could physically feel part of him disappearing into Claton. Leering down at the frantic boy, Claton merely uttered another command, and the bands momentarily disappeared. Instead of relaxing, Merlin immediately tensed, but was still not prepared when they suddenly re-emerged, wrapping themselves securely around his wrists and ankles.

"I'm sure you recognise them, don't you Merlin?" Claton began mockingly, sneering in a callous delight as Merlin tried to frantically pull the bands apart, but to no avail. "Anti-magic, dear oh dear. Now, it's far too dangerous for a warlock to simply go wondering around Camelot. We'd better make sure you don't go anywhere."

As Merlin watched on in fear, Claton let the magic pour from him, allowing the sorcerer to remember what it felt like to be truly alive. For just a second, a wall seemed to shimmer into existence over the opening of the cave before disappearing just as quickly. Merlin wasn't fooled though; he knew what the twisted man had done. A barrier to stop him from leaving the cave. Striding through the opening, Claton paused, smirking with satisfaction as he witnessed the look of pure hopelessness on Merlin's face.

"Not that anyone would find you here, but just in case…" Muttering something under his breath, Merlin unconsciously held his own as the rocks lining the top of the cave shuddered and glowed momentarily, but then fell still again. Without another word, the sorcerer strode confidently out of the cave, eager for the real action to begin. He had no need to kill Merlin; no one would find him down there and the boy couldn't use magic, nor leave. Far more satisfying to leave him there and know he had returned, than to end the boy's suffering by the quick escape of death.


	9. Chapter 9

**Another huge thank you for all of those lovely reviews, you have no idea how much they are making me smile.**

**Huge thanks and hugs to MerlinStar as always for being awesome! I owe you big time, honey!**

Arthur sat on the floor where he had landed, his mind reeling. Part of him was unable to believe what Merlin had done, but at the same time, the prince knew he hadn't meant to lose control like that. His horror at realising what he had done was a testimony to that. But even so, the servant had still done it, and there was no telling what else he was capable of doing without realising.

Climbing to his feet, Arthur suddenly frowned. He must be tired, for the prince could have sworn he just heard a scream that sounded suspiciously like his manservant. Shaking his head, Arthur pushed the matter from his mind. With not sleeping well the night before after being perched on a stool, then everything that had happened since, it was no wonder the prince was hearing things. Crossing his room with a sigh, he made to shut the door from where Merlin had left it open when something made him pause. His hand resting lightly on the handle, Arthur peered out into the corridor. Something wasn't right.

Snatching up his sword, the prince stalked out into the corridor, the weapon held defensively in front of him. Swallowing hard, Arthur realised what was troubling him so much – it was the silence. Normally at this time of the day, something could always be heard, the oncoming evening meaning servants were normally bustling about trying to get the day's work finished. But now, there was nothing, not even a whisper. Rounding a corner, Arthur quickly pressed himself into the wall as he heard faint footsteps heading his way. Holding his breath as they drew nearer and nearer, Arthur tensed. As the footsteps reached him, he sprang from his hiding place and leapt at the figure, sword held tightly in his outstretched hand. Swinging the weapon automatically, Arthur froze when he caught sight of who the figure was.

"Leon? What is going on? Where is everyone?"

"The prince," Leon stated, making Arthur start and look towards him in surprise There was something distant and cold about Leon's normally friendly voice and Arthur had just enough time to register the far away, grey look in his eyes before a sword swung suddenly out of nowhere towards his head.

Blocking the blow, Arthur dodged out of the way. He had seen that look before; it was the same expression Merlin had been wearing whenever Claton was in control of him. Although he had not known it at the time, Arthur had come to realise all of Merlin's strange behaviour could be traced back to the sorcerer.

"Leon?" the prince gasped, ducking under the knight's arm. Darting behind him, Arthur bought his foot sharply up and knocked the man's legs from under him. Immediately disarming Leon the second he hit the floor, Arthur took in the haunted eyes with horror. There could be no denying it; Leon was, somehow, under Claton's influence. Unwilling to hurt the man if he was indeed not in control of himself, Arthur placed his foot firmly in Leon's back as the knight began to wriggle. Thinking hard, Arthur repeated his earlier actions and bought the hilt of his sword down. Leon slumped immediately, allowing Arthur to remove his foot, sighing deeply. That was the second time in a day he had been forced to knock out one of his closest friends. Seizing the knight's limp form, Arthur began to drag the body across the hallway, before unceremoniously throwing him into a broom cupboard and locking the door behind him. He may not want to really hurt the man, but Leon _had_ just tried to kill him. There was a limit for how considerate the prince could be.

Running a hand through his hair shakily, a sudden thought made Arthur freeze mid action. If Claton was controlling other people, then what about Merlin? Perhaps he had not imagined the scream after all. Swallowing hard, Arthur noted his hand was shaking as he lowered it back to his side. With someone as sadistic as Claton, there was no telling what he would have done to the warlock, especially if Arthur's suspicions were true and he had indeed returned. For what else could it have been? The prince knew Merlin would fight hard to stop the sorcerer from hurting anyone, but who was going to protect _him_ from Claton?

Thinking back on their argument, Arthur suddenly realised precisely what it had been about. It hadn't been about the fact Merlin was a sorcerer. No. It had been about the fact he hadn't told Arthur. Realising he had pretty much accepted what his friend truly was, Arthur smiled softly as he considered he had only been hurt because he had thought Merlin had not trusted him, nothing more. Deciding it was about time he found the servant, the prince set off, rounding the far corner just in time to see a figure disappear around the other end, one that made his heart beat uncomfortably fast with dread. Heading directly towards the throne room, there could be no denying that menacing walk. Claton was indeed back.

Sprinting fast after the retreating back, Arthur skidded to a stop outside the doors, pausing in confusion when he heard nothing amiss from within. There was nowhere else Claton could go, yet there was absolutely no sound of anything wrong from inside the room itself. Slowly drawing his sword, Arthur bounced on the balls of his toes, counting down under his breath. As soon as he reached one, the prince burst through the doors, stopping suddenly when he caught sight of his enemy standing directly behind Uther.

"Arthur," Claton began, his mouth twisting into an evil sneer. "We were just talking about you. Do come in."

"Father?" Arthur called, the concern evident in his voice. What was going on? As Uther turned to look at him, the prince felt his stomach plummet. The same grey, far away look was present in the king's eyes as well. Glancing around the room fearfully, Arthur felt the roof of his mouth go dry when he took in everyone else's expression. The same. Even Gwen, still standing respectfully behind Morgana's chair, was quite clearly under the control of the sorcerer.

"What have you done with Merlin?" Arthur suddenly found himself yelling, the concern building up for his conspicuously absent servant.

"Haven't we had this conversation once before? He's dead." Claton responded silkily, pretending to inspect his fingernails whilst watching the prince's reaction. He wasn't disappointed. Instantly going pale, Arthur felt his legs tremble beneath him. He couldn't be. His mind going numb with shock, Arthur could only think of one thing. Merlin had thought the prince had hated him when he fled from his room. And if he was truly…

Suddenly squaring his shoulders, Arthur met Claton's gaze head on.

"You're lying. You wouldn't have killed him without a spectacle, not without me being around to see it. That is how you work, Claton. You wouldn't have been able to resist showing it off. He is not dead."

"All right, all right, so he is still alive. He won't be for much longer though. I have to say, I loved your little fight earlier, really got the juices flowing, if you know what I mean." Tipping the prince a wink, Claton smirked as Arthur tightened his grip on the sword. Bracing himself, Arthur watched the sorcerer guardedly as he whispered something into Uther's ear.

"Arrest him," Uther instantly ordered, and every guard and knight in the room – of which there had been a considerable number – drew their weapons as one and advanced on the prince. Before he had time to quite comprehend what was going on, Arthur felt his sword knocked from his hand as his arms were seized. Try as he might, he couldn't shake off the iron grip and soon found himself being slowly dragged backwards, despite his increasing struggles. Whatever Claton had done to the men, it was making them annoyingly hard to stop. Just as he disappeared through the door, Arthur called back to Claton.

"Merlin will stop you. He is more powerful than you know."

"No he isn't," Claton's sing song voiced floated back through the open door as Arthur was dragged away. Continuing to struggle, Arthur felt an increasing fury build up inside him, yet he could do nothing against the numerous guards surrounding him; they seemed not to notice anything the prince threw at them. Feeling a sense of hopelessness wash over him as his feet hit the hard steps leading down to the dungeons; the prince couldn't help but hope that Merlin was in a better situation his current one.

Watching the entrance blearily, Merlin hoped Arthur was safe, wherever he was. The shield Claton had summoned seemed to be impenetrable for the warlock, the glowing bands around his wrists and ankles preventing him from doing anything more than glaring. Whilst Arthur may have the power to make grown men run for cover under his glare, Merlin's was doing nothing to shift the barrier holding him prisoner.

Almost absentmindedly tugging on the bonds around his wrists, Merlin pulled as hard as he could, previous attempts meaning he knew it would achieve nothing, yet he couldn't just sit here, knowing Arthur was in danger. When nothing happened, Merlin sighed deeply. Pulling was obviously having no effect, he was going to have to try something different. He couldn't do _nothing._ In a vain attempt in the hope his own magic would overcome Claton's, Merlin decided he would resort to magic to try and free himself. Climbing unsteadily to his feet, he watched the entrance with narrowed eyes, biting his lip as he tried to work out what the best course of action would be. He knew from prior experience what using magic against the bonds could do, but considering the position he was in, the warlock didn't feel like he had a lot of options. Taking a deep breath against what he was almost sure was coming, Merlin braced himself.

"_Solvo mihi ex meus vinculum_."

With a sudden exclamation of surprise, the young warlock felt himself shooting backwards a few paces, hitting the wall behind him, hard. Trying to focus on something solid rather than his spinning head, Merlin took a few calming deep breaths, the way Gaius had taught him for whenever things became too bad. Knowing Claton had not slipped up in any way, Merlin sank down the wall, his head resting on the top of his knees, trying to stop tears from leaking out of the corners of his eyes. He felt utterly hopeless, something Claton seemed to be gifted at making him feel. As if knowing his thoughts were on the twisted sorcerer, Merlin subconsciously scrubbed a hand across his chest. The burn, whilst it had stopped hurting, had begun an insistent itch.

More irritating than the damaged flesh was not knowing what was going on up in the main part of the castle. Not knowing what Claton had planned for Camelot, Merlin wasn't sure whether he would be trying to hide his return or let everyone know. In a strange way, the warlock hoped it was the latter. At least that way Arthur would know what was going on, and with any luck, come looking for his servant. Merlin knew he had handled it badly with the prince; he should have tried to reassure Arthur he would never use his magic to harm him, or anyone for that matter. Instead, he had just let his built up frustration come bursting forth, and probably ruined any chance of Arthur truly accepting who he really was. A small part of him realised that Arthur must have accepted the truth to some extent by the fact he hadn't killed him or had him arrested. Maybe there was hope yet…

Watching the protected entrance, Merlin sighed deeply, trying to ignore the fact his stomach was beginning to growl in protestation. If someone didn't find him soon, then any small flicker of hope he was imagining now would certainly be gone.

Pacing in frustration, Arthur watched the figures outside of his cell guardedly. To start with, he had thought Claton was having another of his twisted jokes when he had led Morgana and Gwen into view, both ladies armed. With a mocking smile, the sorcerer had instructed them to guard the prisoner, whatever it took. As they had both snapped to attention, Arthur knew without a doubt they were both under his control, his instructions meaning they would do anything to prevent him from escaping. As he turned to face the wall again, the prince's hand suddenly shot to his belt, smirking with satisfaction as it closed around his keys. Claton seemed to have forgotten the fact that, as Crown Prince of Camelot, it was pretty awkward to lock Arthur in the dungeons, especially if no one took the keys from him. It was just a matter of whether Morgana could still be goaded.

"Sooo," he drawled slowly, taking up a stance of indifference on the far side of the cell, but prepared to spring at any moment. "He can't think I'm much of a threat if it is you two guarding me. I mean, a _girl? _I'm actually offended."

As Morgana stiffened slightly, Arthur smirked. She always had been easy to wind up, especially when it came to jibes about her being a woman and therefore weak. There was too much of her father in her, and no doubt she had been around a certain prince too long. Whilst they may not have been blood relatives, Morgana certainly possessed the Pendragon pride. The only problem was how to rile up Guinevere.

"Like you two would be the slightest match for me if I wanted to leave," Arthur continued, noting with delighted how Morgana's hand had tightened around her sword. It was now only a matter of time.

"Neither of you could fight to save your lives," Arthur was struggling not to laugh out loud, for Morgana looked angry enough to kill him. Unfortunately, Gwen shot her a calming look and the Lady breathed in deeply, relaxing. Deciding it was time to change his target, Arthur racked his brains for something he could use against Gwen. There was only one thing that came to mind, but the prince was reluctant to use it, as it was indeed a low blow. But every moment he was stuck in here, Claton was controlling more and more people. Not to mention whatever had happened to Merlin. The prince was sure the warlock was still alive, but his absence was worrying Arthur more than he would ever admit. The boy could use magic, meaning if he had yet to show back up, something bad must have happened to him. And whilst the thought of Merlin being powerful unnerved the prince somewhat, he knew he couldn't go up against Claton without his servant at his side. As Morgana fidgeted once again, (Claton may have had control, but it was clear they were still there somewhere), Arthur took a deep breath, hoping Gwen wouldn't remember this.

"It is not as if it is hard to get out of here. I mean, honestly, if even a peasant blacksmith could do it, how hard could it be?" As soon as the maid froze, Arthur knew his taunt had worked. Hating himself for doing this to the sweet girl, the prince continued.

"But I suppose he didn't get very far. But that was being guarded by people who could fight, not girls."

That did it. Morgana spun around, her eyes flashing dangerously, but this time, Gwen didn't try to stop her. Instead, the maid watched with impatience as her mistress pulled out the keys and unlocked the door, both of them rushing in, their swords raised, the second it was open.

Immediately tensing, Arthur watched with calculating eyes at the rushing women. Ducking under Morgana's arm, he grasped Gwen's wrist and wrenched the weapon from her hand. Throwing himself at her, Arthur sent the maid flying, crashing straight into Morgana and sending them both sprawling. Plucking the sword from Morgana's hand, Arthur sped out of the cell, pausing only long enough to grab the keys from where they had fallen. As the two struggled to their feet, winded but unharmed, Arthur slammed the door shut. Locking it with his own keys, he then pocketed the spare ones and strode from the dungeons, knowing the two of them would now be safe.

Climbing the steps almost silently, Arthur paused when he reached the top. He may be free, but the prince had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do next. He couldn't go up against Claton, not on his own at least, and he couldn't turn to any of his knights, nor his father. Coming to a decision, the prince crept from the shadows and stole down the corridor, ears straining for any approaching guards. There was one thing he could do. He could find Merlin.

Creeping down the corridor, Arthur felt his heart was going to jump through his chest when he heard approaching footsteps. Glancing around frantically, the prince had just enough time to jump behind a tapestry before Claton came striding into sight, a band of knights following obediently at his heels. Cursing himself for not thinking of a better hiding place, Arthur held his breath as they walked past, listening intently for any clues towards Merlin. To his astonishment, he got more than that.

"You, tall man. I need you to go down to the lower levels and set off the trap in the first cave. I don't want anyone finding the whelp; it is too obvious where he is now."

"Sire," the man bowed deeply, causing Arthur to grind his teeth in silent fury, and marched off. As the remaining party moved off in the opposite direction, Arthur slipped from his hiding place. Bingo.

Following the knight, Arthur stole along, slipping between the shadows, barely visible. He knew exactly who Claton had been referring too. Little did the twisted man know he had just made a massive mistake. Hoping it would be Claton's downfall, Arthur waited until the knight had started descending the stairs before springing on the unexpected man. Propelling himself forward, the prince crashed headlong into the man's back and sent them both tumbling down the stairs. Anxious not to be discovered, Arthur quickly clapped his hand over the knight's mouth, seeking out the pressure points in his neck. Ignoring the struggles, Arthur concentrated as he slowly exerted pressure, only letting go when the man slumped in his arms, unconscious. Knowing he had a good few hours before the man came round, Arthur dragged him away from the bottom of the steps, before sneaking forward, seeking out the caves.

Peering into the first one he came across, Arthur knew without a doubt this was the one Claton had been referring too. The very air seemed to tingle with the presence of magic; something powerful had taken place down here. Stepping forward, Arthur approached the entrance, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light. After a few moments of squinting helplessly into the dark, the prince eventually made out a shape huddled against the far corner, his position defeated. Sighing in relief, Arthur couldn't stop a small smile crossing his face. Merlin was all right.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much for the reviews once again! And another huge thank you to MerlinStar, for being awesome as always! Thanks honey!**

"Merlin?" Arthur called softly into the dark, wanting to make sure he wasn't about to walk straight into another of Claton's traps. As the head jerked up in surprise, Arthur knew he had really found his servant. Striding forward, he missed the alarmed look that shot over the warlock's face.

"Arthur, don't-," Merlin's warning, however, went unheeded as the prince continued to step through. As he passed through the small opening, Arthur paused, the most peculiar sensation shooting through him. It was as if he had just stepped through icy water, and he knew instinctively that it was magic. Shuddering slightly, the prince didn't move as a resounding crack filled the cave. Looking horror struck, Merlin suddenly leapt up and darted forward, not giving Arthur time to react as he pulled the prince forward and threw them both to the floor, not a moment too soon. Rocks bounced off the walls as they fell from the ceiling, causing Merlin to screw up his eyes against the dust.

Coughing, the warlock struggled to his knees, eyes streaming in an attempt to clear themselves. One look at Arthur told him the prince was faring no better, but also seemed to be going numb with shock. Although whether it was from Merlin's quick reactions or almost being buried alive, Merlin couldn't comment.

"You okay?" the warlock rasped, trying to clear his throat. Arthur mutely nodded, his eyes automatically seeking out the one source of light in the cave. To his surprise, he found his eyes drawn to glowing bands encasing Merlin's wrists and ankles. There was something horribly familiar about the blue emitting from them, and the way they seemed to pulse slightly. As if sensing his master's focus of attention, Merlin turned away, once more seating himself against the wall.

"So," he began lightly, unanswered questions darting around his head. "Welcome to my humble abode." Arthur merely shot his servant a look, one that spoke volumes. He knew the instant Merlin spoke the boy was worried and scared, yet his determination not to show it made Arthur respect him even more. There was no telling what he had been through in the time he had been down here.

"What happened?" the prince asked in return, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the warlock. For one thing, he couldn't work out why Merlin had not just left. Aside the rocks now covering the entrance and rendering them both trapped, the opening had been clear beforehand. The fact the prince was in the cave rather than outside was obvious testimony to that.

"The wall collapsed," Merlin responded flippantly, knowing full well that was not what Arthur was referring to, yet reluctant to talk about Claton. He couldn't help but feel both guilty and ashamed for the part he had played in Claton's return. Everyone – as in the Great Dragon and Gaius - always told him he was strong and powerful, yet he had been helpless against Claton the entire time. He knew it was foolish, but the warlock couldn't help but feel he should have done more.

"Really?" Arthur responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I think I could have figured that bit out. What happened to _you_, _Mer_lin?"

"He came back," Merlin whispered; his voice suddenly cracking. He knew he wouldn't have escaped without telling Arthur at some point; the prince had nearly always been able to get him to admit things. Which was ironic considering the secret he had been hiding from the royal prat ever since they had met. Until now, that was. Thoughts of his magic springing back into his head, Merlin shot the prince a startled glance, wondering whether he should bring up what had happened the last time they had been together. Arthur, however, seemed to be oblivious to the torrent of emotions his servant was experiencing, instead opting for casually inspecting the rock fall.

Pretending to ignore the break in Merlin's voice, Arthur changed subject as it was clearly upsetting the boy. Gesturing wildly behind him, Arthur continued.

"How come that only happened when I got here? Why hadn't you already left?"

"You set the trap off," Merlin responded tonelessly, causing Arthur's mind to jump back to Claton's last instructions to the man. So that was what he had meant about springing the trap because Merlin was too obvious. They were certainly hidden from view now.

"And you hadn't done that because…?" Arthur continued, totally confused as to why Merlin had still been here. He knew the boy could be slow at times, but honestly, he surely wasn't this ignorant?

"You really think Claton would have let me just walk out of here?" Merlin responded bitterly, not seeming to notice that his hands were once more trying to pull the bands apart. Crossing the cave, the prince slid down the wall next to his servant, leaning back with a sigh. As Merlin once more began to pick at the bands, Arthur suddenly leant over and placed his own hand on top of the trembling one, stopping the action.

"What are they, Merlin?" he whispered, desperately wanting to know, but also aware it was most likely to be a sensitive topic with the young warlock, if his actions were anything to go by.

"Do you remember the manacles at the cave?" Merlin whispered in return, feeling a rush of gratitude towards the prince, so strong he didn't know an emotion could be that powerful. The prince's actions said what he knew his voice never would: he had forgiven Merlin's previous behaviour. At Arthur's nod, the warlock continued.

"Remember how they gave out shocks? Have you wondered at all in the last couple of days why I didn't magic myself out of there?" As Arthur's brow suddenly crumpled, Merlin knew the thought had not even crossed his mind. Although he wasn't surprised, he too tried to block any memory from that day.

"They are anti-magic. I can't use magic when I have them on, it backfires on me. Nor can I get them off. I'm…" Taking a deep breath, Merlin echoed his master's position and leant his head back against the wall, suddenly feeling very drained. "I'm helpless."

"Weren't you always?" Arthur responded lightly, giving his servant a mock shove. As Merlin slowly began to smile, Arthur grinned back. "Much better. Right, how do we get out of here?"

"Wait," Merlin said suddenly, making Arthur pause from where he had been in the process of standing up. "What's he done? What has Claton done to everyone, to Camelot?"

"Not much," Arthur responded offhandedly, knowing the instant Merlin snorted in disbelief his attempt to lighten the situation was working. "Only got absolutely everyone apart from me, and obviously now you, under his control."

"What?" Merlin gasped, looking horror struck. Arthur knew by his face the servant was thinking the same as him: this makes going against the sorcerer a whole lot harder.

"Yep. Leon tried to kill me, my father had me arrested and Morgana and Gwen just tried to act as my personal guards. That pretty much failed, as you can see. You either had some resistance to him, or this is slightly different, as none of them seem to be able to fight back." Trying to keep his tone as light as possible in order not to alarm Merlin any further, Arthur knew instantly by the look on his face that it hadn't worked.

"I _had_ magic," Merlin responded tonelessly, emphasising the past tense. Once more, the warlock tugged at the bands around his wrists, but to no avail.

"Is there any way I can get them off?" Arthur asked quietly, watching his movements, but reluctant to give the boy any false hope. He looked so disheartened as it was, the prince didn't want to make matters worse.

"Claton reinforced them last time you managed to simply pull me out. Only magic can undo them, and considering we are in Camelot, the likelihood of that happening? He wasn't taking any chances."

Silence fell as Arthur contemplated what Merlin had said. Claton certainly knew his enemy well. Knowing the sorcerer was back and not being able to stop him was a sure way of making Merlin destroy himself. And then imprisoning him within something that he knew there was very little chance of escaping from… much as he detested the man, Arthur had to admit he knew how to lay and execute a plan. That was what was grating on Arthur's nerves so much, Claton seemed to know exactly how to play the pair of them.

Suddenly, an idea sprung into Arthur's head that almost made him gasp in shock at the outrageousness of it. There would be no way Claton would have seen it coming, that was for sure, but could he carry it off?

"Merlin?" the prince began uncertainly, not quite sure how he was going to word what was on his mind.

"What?" Merlin responded, his eyes shut as he leant back against the wall. All he wanted to do was to curl up and go to sleep, letting this be another of his nightmares. But he knew deep down it was not, for if it had been one of his many nightmares, then Arthur would not have quite calmly accepted him as a sorcerer.

"Do you think… I mean, what if…"

"Spit it out," Merlin commented with a small smile. It was unlike Arthur not to be able to express himself; he normally made any meaning more than clear.

"?" the prince suddenly blurted out, causing Merlin to open one eye to peer at his master in amusement, having not the slightest inclination what he had just said.

"Come again?" Annoyed at himself for losing control, Arthur took a deep breath.

"Do you think I would be able to use magic?"

"What?" Merlin exclaimed, but Arthur knew he had heard him perfectly well this time around. It just seemed to be the idea he was having trouble digesting. As his servant began to laugh, Arthur felt himself frown. The idea was not _that _laughable, was it? With growing alarm, the prince quickly became aware Merlin had stopped finding this humorous, but with everything that had happened, was unable to stop himself laughing, despite the fact there were tears pouring down his face. Wracking his brains for what he could do, Arthur sharply slapped the hysterical boy around the face, quickly and successfully bringing him back under control. Shakily wiping his eyes, Merlin took a few deep breaths, struggling to control himself again.

"You really want to use magic?"

"How hard can it be, I only have to say a couple of made up words."

"It's slightly more complicated than that. Arthur, are you all right? Are you sure Claton hasn't put you under a spell? Come on, you seriously want to use magic? Arthur Pendragon, the son of _Uther_?"

The incredulity in Merlin's voice finally got through to the prince and he realised quite how bizarre the situation must appear to the warlock. He could also see why Merlin was worried Claton might have done something to the prince; Merlin's fears seemed to be going into overload. And considering the warlock was more aware than anyone what the twisted man was capable of, it was no surprise that he was worried.

"Merlin, listen to me," Arthur began slowly, determined the set the boy's mind at ease. Yet he couldn't help but think every moment they spent down here, Claton's control must be growing. It unnerved the prince a lot to think how quickly he had gained control of the castle. Merlin had only been gone for a few minutes when the sorcerer had reappeared. It was as if he was much stronger than before.

"I'm fine. But unless we get them off you, we are both stuck down here. It may have escaped your notice, but there is a pile of rocks stopping me from leaving. I have to get back up there, he has my father under his control and there is no knowing what he could do now. Start a war, probably. So if I have to do it once, to save Camelot, then so be it."

"You don't even know if you would be able too," Merlin protested, still not liking the idea. It would have been so easy for Claton to set up a situation like this, taking Arthur's natural ambition towards power, and then give him access to magic as raw as Merlin's. The warlock didn't like it. As if knowing what his servant was thinking, Arthur stood up and fixed Merlin with his best `master` look.

"Claton didn't plan for this, if that is what you are worried about. He locked me in the dungeons, and sent some knight down here to set off the trap so no one would be able to find you. Think of what a surprise it would be if we turned back up again! Now, are you going to do this or not?"

Knowing it was pointless arguing with Arthur when he used that tone of voice – goodness knows how many times he had tried in the past – Merlin pulled himself to his feet. Although the prince didn't know it, Merlin knew he would have no trouble at all controlling the magic, he could sense it in other people if they had an inclination towards magic at all. It had been something that annoyed him when he was young, but it was at times like this he was grateful; it would prevent any unnecessary risks. Although somehow, Merlin didn't think that telling Arthur he had a natural ability to use magic, despite not possessing any himself, would go down too well with the prince. Taking a deep breath, Merlin opened his mouth.

"Right, are you ready? This is what you have to say: _Solvo mihi_-," Feeling his magic begin to respond to his commands, Merlin broke off with a gasp. Ignoring Arthur's puzzled frown, the warlock took a few calming breaths, forcing his magic to reside. He could feel the bands beginning to react, and knew if he didn't get it back under control soon, he would pay the price. He did not want Arthur to see what happened if he tried to use magic. Leaning back against the wall for support, Merlin let out a shaky breath as the magic slowly resided again, the pulsing of the bands slowing and calming at the same time.

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked, concern evident in his voice. That had been the strangest thing he had ever seen, watching Merlin force his magic back. It simply wasn't right.

"That's not going to work," Merlin practically gasped, his hand rubbing over his chest in a subconscious effort to alleviate the sensation of the bands.

"Merlin, I've told you, I'm perfectly able-,"

"Not you," Merlin interrupted, feeling weak for having to say it. "I can't tell you what to say, not without my magic trying to react. And you'll never get the pronunciation right the first time, and I haven't the strength to do it more than once."

"Oh." Stunned into silence, Arthur didn't know what to say. It hadn't even crossed his mind how much the bands were restricting the warlock's access to his magic, how he couldn't even say the words without it trying to roar into life. Whilst it seemed like a good idea at the time, him using magic to free Merlin, the prince hadn't contemplated Merlin not being able to help him. Looking up with apologetic eyes, Arthur frowned when he saw the thoughtful look on Merlin's face.

"What?"

"I have an idea," Merlin began slowly, his brow crumpled as he contemplated the results of his idea. It would either work, or be completely catastrophic.

"Well?" Arthur prompted when the servant fell silent again. He only hoped this idea was a way to get them out of the accursed cave. Whilst he was not by any stretch of the imagination claustrophobic, the prince was already longing for some fresh air. And if he was thinking that, there could be no telling how desperate Merlin was getting.

"I'm going to put the magic straight into your head. I should be able to do it quicker than the bands can react, but there will be only one shot at this."

"You're going to put it in my head?" Arthur repeated slowly, feeling slightly apprehensive if he did say so himself. Maybe this really hadn't been such a great idea after all.

"My magic isn't something learnt, Arthur, it is natural. Claton never seems to remember this. If I implant the spell and a small amount of power directly into you, you will have the strength and the knowledge to free me."

"What will be the price of you doing that, Merlin?" Arthur asked, seeing straight past the piece of information Merlin was not telling him.

"I don't know," the servant responded simply, his fingers flexing in anticipation. He only hoped this was going to work, as he knew full well the bands wouldn't allow him a second chance. "You ready?"

At the prince's nod, albeit a reluctant one, Merlin stepped forward. Trying to ignore Arthur's flinch as he placed his palm against the prince's forehead, the warlock took a deep breath. He had a strange sense of excitement running through him at this; it was unlike anything else he had ever tried. Closing his eyes, Merlin breathed in deeply. Focusing his thoughts, he suddenly summoned his magic and, eyes burning beneath the closed lids; channelled it out of his hand and into Arthur. He knew something had happened instantly by Arthur's gasp, but he refused to stop. Already he could feel the bands begin to react and knew he only had a matter of seconds left. With his palm glowing, Merlin snapped his eyes open to see a familiar gold burning in Arthur's, before he was suddenly blasted off his feet.

Arthur watched Merlin hit the cave wall hard before sinking to the floor, out cold, but it was as if he was watching it from afar. His blood felt like it was boiling, yet in a pleasant way as it raced to customise the raw power he now had flowing through him. It took the prince's breath away; every fibre of his being felt alive and vibrant, a rush of power ready to blast out of him at a second's notice. He knew without having to ask that his eyes were gold, he could feel the accumulation of magic building and building behind them. Frowning slightly, Arthur paused as the magic continued to build up. It was starting to give him a headache, his body was on the verge of aching thanks to the sheer volume of magic flowing through him. How on earth did Merlin cope with it? As his sight began to waver and the cave took on a double appearance, Arthur knew instantly what he had to do.

Crossing the cave in a few long strides, the prince crouched by his servant's side, trying not to focus on how deathly pale he was. Placing his hand over the still form, Arthur paused just long enough to see his palm glow iridescently before the magic erupted from him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow, your reactions certainly put my mind at ease about the last chapter, thank you! As normal, big thanks to MerlinStar for being an awesome beta.**

"_Solvo mihi ex meus vinculum_," Arthur listened in astonishment as the words flowed freely from his mouth, his tongue rolling smoothly over the strange sounds. Almost falling over where he was crouched as a light shot from the palm of his hand, Arthur gasped as the bands around Merlin's wrists and ankles glowed brightly, before disappearing altogether. By muttering the spell, the prince had used up all of the magic Merlin had given him, meaning his legs quickly gave way underneath him as the roar of power disappeared, leaving him breathless and shaken, but pleased.

Shakily leaning back against the wall, Arthur tried to bring his breathing under control, unable to believe he had just performed magic. After spending his entire life fighting against it, had he really just used it? In doing so, though, the prince felt a rush of respect for his servant. Did it really feel like that the entire time? It was a miracle Merlin had been able to hide it for that long, especially considering he had been unconscious when the prince had found out. If Arthur hadn't been there at that precise moment, he may not have even known. It must be so hard to keep it under control like that the whole time if it was always screaming for the release Arthur had felt. Or maybe that was just because he was not used to being in possession of something so powerful? That was another thing the prince was trying not to think about, quite how powerful his clumsy servant truly seemed to be.

Resting back with a sigh, Arthur couldn't stop his fingers begin to drum impatiently on the ground beside him. They may have managed to progress a bit further, but with Merlin now unconscious, they were still stuck until the warlock woke up. Letting his eyes roam the cave, Arthur soon felt his foot begin to join his fingers in the drumming out of an impatient tune, wanting nothing more than to get back up to the castle and stop Claton. Although that in itself was going to be a bit of a problem, unless Merlin suddenly woke up super strong. As if his silent plea for the servant to wake up had sprung out of his head and into the still form in front of him, Merlin began to stir.

The first thing the warlock became aware of was his pounding head as he slowly forced his eyes open. The instant he became fully aware of his surroundings, a rush of magic filled him up, causing his eyes to flicker gold as he leant back into the welcoming embrace. It had only been a few hours since he had been in full control, yet it felt like a lifetime to the warlock. It was as if he had been split from himself, his very soul compressed and restrained. But now, he was back again, he was once more whole. Whispering a soft spell, Merlin grinned triumphantly as his head immediately stopped pounding.

Pushing himself upright, the warlock caught sight of the prince leaning back against the wall, looking drained. His eyes, however, were relieved as they watched the boy sit up, a spark of hope once more alighting in the blue.

"It worked, then?" he said, hoping his voice hadn't sounded as hoarse to Merlin as it did to himself. Merlin nodded mutely, unable to form the words to thank the prince. He had just done the very thing he despised, to save Merlin. Although he claimed it was for Camelot, the servant knew his master well enough to sense what he was not saying, and the gratitude Merlin now felt was not one that could be expressed in mere words.

Climbing to his feet, Merlin turned to examine the cave entrance and the blockage surrounding it. It was about time he got out of here, he decided. Raising his hand, the warlock let the magic fill him up.

"_Ic abietee paet stanhol_," Merlin smiled in delight as the rocks immediately exploded, clearing the path.

Pulling Arthur to his feet, the two boys stood side by side, prince and warlock ready to unite and face their enemy. Clearing his throat, Merlin gestured for Arthur to go through first.

"After you," he stated softly, feeling slightly nervous about what they were up against. There was no telling quite how powerful Claton was, and whilst he may have had his magic returned to him, Merlin was not sure whether he would be able to face the sorcerer. Lifted from his thoughts as Arthur grabbed his arm and pulled him through the gap, the two sprinted up the stairs, Merlin just about registering the unconscious man at the base.

Skidding to a halt as they exited the lower levels, the two drew to a stop, observing the hallway around them. The place was unnaturally quiet, not a sound could be heard.

"Where is he?" Merlin whispered, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. Arthur turned to look at his servant, concern echoed within his eyes as he heard the tremor in the boy's voice. There could be no denying Merlin was still scared despite the great power he had had returned to him. And if he was honest, Arthur didn't blame him in the slightest. Claton had put him through hell over the last week.

"My guess is the throne room," Arthur muttered back, reluctant to raise his voice. There could be no telling who was waiting around the next corner. "Come on, let's get back to my chambers, I at least need a sword."

Creeping forward, the two of them stole down the corridor, breaths held at every corner. Finally, the prince's chambers came into sight, and breaking into a jog, the two pelted towards it, hoping to find some sense of security within. Pushing the door open, Arthur made to step forward.

"Wait," Merlin hissed warningly, but the prince rolled his eyes.

"I'm just going to get my sword, _Mer_lin. Nothing is going to happen." Preparing to make another step, Arthur felt something cold trickle over him and could have sworn he heard Merlin mutter something under his breath. Trying to take another step, Arthur frowned when he found he couldn't move his legs.

"Merlin, what the hell have you done to me? I'm the Crown Prince, you can't do this!"

"I'm only saving your life, you prat," Merlin responded. Conjuring up a small feather, Merlin gently blew it into the room. Watching its flight in silence, the pair stood stock still (not that Arthur had a choice) as it slowly fluttered down to the floor. The second it touched the ground, the feather suddenly erupted into flames, leaving a very stunned prince standing in the threshold.

"See?" Merlin asked smugly, trying not to laugh at the astonishment on Arthur's face.

"_Subsisto flamma_." As Arthur watched, his floor shimmered with a soft blue light which faded as fast as it had appeared. Striding past the prince, Merlin confidently stepped into the room, his eyebrows raised as nothing happened.

"Very clever," Arthur grumbled, annoyed at being outwitted by his servant. "Let me go." It wasn't a question, but Merlin obliged willingly, not giving the prince any warning of when the spell was removed. Suddenly having the use of his legs back again, Arthur was not prepared to have his balance so abruptly restored to him and found himself flat on his face, much to his servant's amusement.

Quickly picking himself up off the floor, Arthur snatched his sword from Merlin's outstretched hand and marched back down the corridor, trying to hide how uncomfortable he still was in the face of blatant magic. He knew he would never turn Merlin in, but still... Seeing the clumsy idiot so casually cast spells that could immobilise the prince, it was just unnerving.

Hearing his servant run to keep up with him, Arthur smirked. It was still clear who the master was. As he rounded a corner, the prince stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a pair of guards standing at the other end, both armed and clearly on the lookout. Feeling something hard bounce off his back, Arthur turned around, his eyebrows raised in amusement when he caught sight of Merlin sitting on the floor, looking indignant. He may be a powerful warlock, but still completely the same old Merlin.

"Back the other way," Arthur mouthed silently, trying not to laugh as Merlin scurried along, still on the floor. He was obviously thinking more about getting out of sight than finding his feet again.

"Idiot," Arthur muttered fondly, pulling him to his feet the second they were out of sight. "Do you think we are actually going to be able to get anywhere near Claton if there are this many guards about?"

"Guards aren't a problem," Merlin said softly, suddenly feeling extremely tired. He couldn't explain where the feeling had come from, perhaps it was nothing more than missing a few nights' sleep, but suddenly, the warlock felt physically drained and the prospect of taking another step seemed far too daunting. Watching his ashen complexion, Arthur frowned,

"Are you all right, Merlin?"

"Yeah," Merlin whispered, not having the energy to explain his new-found exhaustion. Noting Arthur watching him, the servant tried to smile, but could sense his eyelids drooping at the same time, something Arthur didn't fail to notice either.

"Let's find somewhere safer," the prince muttered, grabbing Merlin by the arm and pulling him along, racking his brains for where they could hide whilst Merlin regained his strength. Much as he hated to admit it, Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to go up against Claton on his own – the man could simply fry him from a distance if he wanted to. If it came down to a fight, Arthur knew he had the skill to win, but that Claton would never play fairly. What he had done to Merlin showed that much. As he pulled the warlock along, Arthur briefly paused, a thought flickering into his head. If Claton had taken such measures to stop Merlin being a threat, did that mean the young servant semi-consciously stumbling along beside him was more powerful than the hated man?

As the two crept down the corridor, Arthur held his sword out in front of him defensively with one hand and used the other to keep Merlin on his feet. The boy was suddenly ridiculously weak, stumbling every few steps. It was almost as if the removing of the bands had sapped his strength as well, and knowing Claton, that wasn't too unlikely. As the servant's feet gave out beneath him for the fifth time in as many steps, Arthur carefully lowered him to the floor, propping him up against the wall.

"I can't face him like this," Merlin whispered, every word an effort that made his head swim. All he wanted to do was just to shut his eyes and sleep. Feeling Arthur suddenly slap him, Merlin jolted back to reality, not having noticed he was drifting off.

"Stay with me, Merlin. I can't face him alone, he will tear me to shreds. I need you here."

"Too… far," Merlin panted, his eyes once more drifting shut.

"Damn it, Merlin, wake up!" Yanking his eyes open, Merlin scrambled back to his feet in an effort to stay awake.

"This is no good. I won't be able to get anywhere near him like this."

Suddenly, Arthur began to smirk, his mind clearly racing.

"What?" Merlin asked slowly, not sure if he liked the idea of Arthur coming up with a plan. They tended to involve using the warlock as some sort of bait. Although considering his latest one of using magic himself, Merlin didn't feel that anything would surprise him anymore.

"When Claton possessed you, was he just using your magic, or did he still possess his own?" Thinking hard, Merlin had a horrible feeling he knew where this was going.

"His own," he said guardedly, watching Arthur's face light up with delight. Suddenly realising what the prince was thinking, Merlin shook his head vehemently. "Don't even think about it. I am NOT possessing you, Arthur!"

"Merlin, come on," Arthur whined, not knowing why it was such a bad idea. "That way, we will have your magic and my skills combined in one. Claton won't even know what hit him. You said it yourself you can't get there, and I can't go in there without you warding him off, as much as it pains me to admit it. He'll never even know you're there."

"It's dark magic, Arthur; I'm not strong enough for a spell like that. What if I can't do it? What if I get stuck and we end up combined forever?" Simultaneously, both boys shuddered in horror at the prospect of being stuck together, but Arthur would not be shaken.

"Don't make me order you to do it, Merlin," he said lowly, authority once more ringing in his voice.

"Like you could," Merlin grumbled in response, but knowing that Arthur may actually have a point here. They couldn't go up against Claton separately. As the damn dragon always pointed out, they were two halves of a whole. Looked like that whole may be about to become more of a reality than anyone could have anticipated. Taking a deep breath, Merlin squared his shoulders.

"Get me back to Gaius' chambers," he instructed softly, trying to hide his astonishment as Arthur jumped to do as he asked, pulling one of Merlin's arms over his shoulder.

"Why?" Arthur eventually asked, half supporting, half dragging his servant along. If he didn't know any better, he would have said Merlin wasn't even trying to help, his feet dragging along behind them.

"One, that is where my magic book is." Noting Arthur's surprise, Merlin let himself smirk a little. "Yes, I do have one. I don't automatically know all of the spells. And two, I don't particularly want to leave my body lying in the middle of a corridor waiting for some hypnotised guard to kill me. I'd rather not be stuck with you for eternity."

"Likewise," Arthur retorted, pushing open the door with his foot before hastily checking the coast was clear. When the physician's chambers appeared to be safe, Arthur quickly pulled them both inside before shutting the door behind him. Hearing a thud behind him, Arthur turned just in time to see two guards come flying out of the shadows towards him.

"Look like Claton anticipated you returning here," Arthur grunted, swinging his sword at the closest guard. To his surprise, the man blocked it with ease, obviously possessing some new sort of fighting ability.

"He _was_ in my head for a few days," Merlin responded, conjuring up a spiral out of thin air and launching it at the second man. He didn't want to kill him, only stop him. After all, it wasn't as if it was his fault. To his utmost astonishment, the spell simply bounced off the man, having had no impact at all. Claton had obviously anticipated him using magic, as well.

As his own spell shot backwards towards him, Merlin dove out of the way, catching Arthur around the knees as he fell and bringing the prince crashing down with him. Glancing up in horror, Merlin could only watch as the guard Arthur had been fighting raised his sword above the warlock's head. His mind going blank of any spell that would save him, Merlin instead opted for squeezing his eyes shut as the weapon began its descent, jumping in surprise when he heard a sudden clang.

Snapping his eyes open again, Merlin smiled when he saw Arthur's own sword blocking the attack, the prince having once more regained his footing a lot quicker than his gangly servant. Seeing the second guard begin to sneak up from behind the prince, Merlin sprang to his feet.

"Duck!" With no more than a mere flash of his eyes, the guard was sent flying forwards, shooting over Arthur's dropped head at an astonishing speed before crashing into his colleague. Sent sprawling, both men were knocked out as they crashed headlong into Gaius' workbench. Smiling with satisfaction, Merlin knew that he was still partially more powerful than Claton. The twisted man seemed to have forgotten Merlin didn't always need words to use magic. Pulling Arthur to his feet, the two stood side by side for a moment.

"We make quite a team," Merlin eventually said with a shaky laugh, letting out an explosive breath of relief. Arthur smiled back at him, then seemed to catch himself and the smile vanished as quickly as it had come. It was time to stop Claton.

"Come on, work some mumbo-jumbo."

"You make it sound so simple," Merlin grumbled in response, leading the way up to his room. Reaching under his lose floorboard, he pretended he didn't hear Arthur's groan at such a traditional hiding place as he pulled his magic book from beneath. Perching on the edge of his bed, Merlin quickly began to leaf through the book, not really knowing what he was looking for. As Arthur took up guard by the door, sword ready just in case, the warlock flashed his eyes and let the book fall open on the right page.

"Think I've got it," he declared jubilantly, causing the prince to rush to his side. Peering over Merlin's shoulder, Arthur frowned. He hadn't a clue what it said on the page, it seemed to be in another language.

"What did you expect?" Merlin asked suddenly, sensing by the stillness overtaking the prince what he was thinking. When Arthur refused to answer, the warlock took a deep breath. The spell looked complicated, but manageable. He had done harder things in the past, and at least this time he wouldn't have to try and hide what he was doing from Arthur.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know what is going to happen, I'm not even sure if I can do the spell."

"Just shut up and do it, _Mer_lin," Arthur instructed, receiving a nod for his orders. Merlin climbed off the bed and sat himself crossed legged in the middle of the floor, gesturing for Arthur to do the same. Feeling surprisingly nervous, Arthur did as he was bid, suddenly not at all sure that this was the best idea he had ever come up with.


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, this is it, guys. The final chapter to Web of Lies. I know not everyone has enjoyed this, but I would like to thank those of you who have been so supportive throughout this, it has meant the world to me, especially as there were a few parts that I was worried about. I can't quite believe that this is the end, it seems to have just come out of nowhere.**

**The biggest thank you in the world to MerlinStar for once again being a fantastic beta, I really couldn't have done it without her. Thank you, honey!**

**Hope that you enjoy this final part!**

As Merlin began to chant, Arthur felt his heart begin to beat uncomfortably hard as swirling bands of gold materialised out of thin air, circling the pair of them. The bands continued to dance, weaving their way around the two of them, and Arthur felt an amazing sense of peace watching them. It was as if all of his troubles were simply floating away. No, it was more than that. It was as if he himself was floating away, his soul working its way out of his body.

With a sudden feeling of being grounded, Arthur felt himself return to his body with a thud. Glancing up, he caught sight of Merlin's body slowly toppling over before another presence suddenly joined him, bringing a brief sense of suffocation that soon resided.

"_Arthur?"_

"Merlin?" Arthur asked out loud, the surprise echoing within his voice. Merlin's voice had come from within him. Struggling to his feet, Arthur paused for a moment. It was the strangest sensation ever, having someone else share your body with you.

"_I've got used to it,"_ Merlin commented, somewhat bitterly from within him.

"Can you-, I mean, did you-,"

"_Yes I know what you are thinking. Something Claton put to good use."_

Making to step forward, Arthur frowned in bewilderment as both of his feet tried to move at the same time, resulting in the prince doing a strange sort of jump forward before landing on his back. Climbing to his feet again, Arthur realised what had happened.

"Just because you know what my actions are going to be, leave the controlling of my body to me, _please,_ Merlin."

"_Sorry,"_ Merlin apologised. He had always wondered how easy it had been to move when Claton possessed him. Now he knew, the sorcerer simply let him do it all. Resisting with all his might, Merlin tensed the best he could as Arthur gingerly took a single step, then another. It was the oddest of experiences, and judging by the thoughts flickering through the prince's head, Arthur was thinking the same.

"Claton obviously did a better job than you if you were able to hide it for that long," the prince muttered as the pair of them carefully navigated their way down the stairs.

"_If you want me to act as he did, then all you have to do is ask. Then I can give you immense headaches, force you to move whenever I want and have complete and utter control over your body, as well as magic."_

"I'm sorry, Merlin, I didn't mean it like that." Merlin didn't bother to respond, but made sure Arthur knew the warlock wasn't really angry at him. Instead, he was thinking furiously about the fight ahead, wondering how, and if, they were going to carry it off.

"_Can I try something?"_ Merlin asked tentatively as they emerged from Gaius' chambers out into the corridor beyond. They weren't going to find Claton any time soon, not at the speed they were going at. At Arthur's affirmation, the warlock cautiously raised Arthur's arm, ignoring the surprised yelp that accompanied the action, and directed it at a nearby tapestry. Casting a spell, Merlin was hard pushed not to laugh as the words came out of Arthur's mouth, and the tapestry erupted into flames. Quenching them, Merlin resided, feeling satisfied. Allowing Arthur to once more take control and continue down the corridor, the warlock was feeling slightly more confident. His magic was as easy to use in Arthur's body as his own, despite how strange it sounded hearing the words come out from the prince's mouth.

"Do you have a plan?" Arthur muttered as the pair of them neared the throne room. By dodging as many of the guards as they could, the two of them soon reached the doors without anyone knowing of their escape.

"_Don't let him know I'm here. Did you say he locked you in the dungeons? Pretend you've just escaped or something, we'll give him a surprise when he tries to use magic. Although… dodge as many of the spells as you can, I don't want him to know I'm here until the last minute. I don't know how powerful he is."_

"Gotcha," Arthur muttered, surprising himself by how readily he was agreeing to the plan. He never would have thought that this day would have come.

"What do we do about those guards there though? Do you want me to deal with them or-," Breaking off in surprise, Arthur watched bemused as his arm raised and the two guards toppled forward, motionless, without a single sound being made.

"_You were saying, Sire?" _Merlin asked cheekily, making Arthur smile. He was obviously feeling better. Squaring his shoulders, Arthur marched up to the door.

"_Good luck," _Merlin whispered, his voice spiralling deep within him.

"You too," Arthur muttered back, swallowing hard. It was now or never. Bursting through the doors, Arthur raised his sword threateningly as he tore in, making the hated sorcerer perched in the throne turn to him in amusement.

"Arthur, my dear prince, you seemed to have escaped. Dear me. Guards?"

"Leave it, Claton," Arthur snarled, feeling Merlin's pride bubble within him and give him a sense of confidence.

"You've destroyed my father, my friends. Who knows what you have really done to Merlin. You may as well destroy me too."

Claton smoothly raised an eyebrow, before standing fluently, his arm outstretched in the prince's direction.

"_Maybe not the best thing to say." _Ignoring his servant, Arthur narrowed his eyes at the sorcerer, watching carefully.

"I can show you Merlin if you like?" Claton asked quietly, motioning to the goblet beside him. Both Arthur and Merlin knew instantly what he was about to do.

"_Don't let him!"_ Merlin cried suddenly, knowing the game would be up if Claton tried to see him.

"I gathered that!" Arthur muttered under his breath, sprinting forward. Snapping his attention back to the rushing prince, Claton raised his arm and barked a short command. Throwing himself sideways as the flames shot over him, Arthur leapt to his feet and continued in his frenzied rush at his enemy.

"Still not learnt to control your temper yet, Arthur?" Claton jeered, uttering another short command and causing the prince to skid to a stop. Feeling his mind begin to become unfocused as he was drawn into Claton's spiral, Arthur sent a plea for help, which Merlin instantly answered. Whilst the spell may have captured Arthur's mind, it didn't anticipate there being two in one body, and it was Merlin who threw them to the side, releasing the prince from the grip. Frowning in annoyance as the prince once more faced the sorcerer; sword held with deadly accuracy, Claton strode forward.

"You obviously have a strong mind, young prince. Imagine what you could do if you joined me. We could rule Camelot together."

"_Don't listen to him!"_ Merlin cried again, making the prince hard pushed not to roll his eyes. Did his servant trust him that little?

"Or I could kill you, wait until I'm king and rule it by myself," Arthur responded mockingly, causing Merlin to smirk. "Why would I want to share power?"

Claton's face clouded over with anger at the prince's flippant reply as he drew to a stop directly in front of the pair.

"So be it," he snarled, one finger pointed in the prince's direction. "_Luguolo procer_."

Not seeing anything coming towards him, Arthur was not prepared for an invisible force to wrap itself suddenly around his neck, lifting the prince clean off his feet as he gasped for breath. Knowing Arthur couldn't respond to this by himself, Merlin knew the time had come for him to reveal himself to his enemy.

"_Eximo!_" Falling to his knees, Arthur shakily drew a long breath, trying to stop himself from panting. Glancing up, he saw a moment of confusion flicker over Claton's face, before it merged into pure loathing.

"Merlin," he snarled, fury pulsing in his eyes. "I should have known. You escaped then?"

"_Let me talk?" _Merlin quietly asked the prince, not wanting to do anything against the prince's will. He had experienced first hand how much that hurt, and was not prepared to put Arthur through it. Arthur quickly nodded, letting the warlock take over momentarily.

"I told you not to underestimate Arthur," Merlin called, rising Arthur up from the floor to face his opponent. Strangely, he felt amazingly strong and confident, the complete opposite compared to every other time he had faced Claton. Maybe it was because he had Arthur on his side, and he knew he didn't have to try and hide his magic, but could just attack.

"It will be your downfall, Claton. You cannot compete with both of us."

"Yeah," Arthur suddenly joined in, not used to not having the last word. "I even know about Merlin, meaning he can use magic to stop you." Sensing Merlin's desire to roll his eyes, Arthur paused.

"_He was there for that, you clotpole."_

"Oh."

"You underestimate me, Merlin. What makes you think I won't just kill every single person in this room if you don't surrender yourself?"

Sensing Merlin's hesitation, Arthur felt the knight in him spring into life.

"I won't let him." Pausing, Claton glanced at the prince. The set of his jaw meant he was more than aware Arthur would stay true to his word. To protect Camelot, the prince would do anything, even if it meant losing those he loved. He wouldn't see his beloved kingdom fall into Claton's hands; he would die first.

His lips forming quick words under his breath, Claton leered at the pair in front of him as they watched in confusion. Neither of them knew what he was doing, meaning neither of them knew how to respond. As Claton's body all of a sudden fell down in front of them, Arthur felt Merlin gasp in horror, the second before a third consciousness overwhelmed his own.

Falling to his knees, Arthur struggled to keep his eyes open as he felt the two sorcerers battling intensely within his mind. Claton was definitely more experienced in the attacking realm; Merlin only seemed to be able to deflect the spells rather than attacking. Feeling himself begin to shake as the fight intensified, Arthur screwed his eyes shut, trying to escape from the onslaught. It was almost as if they were both using Arthur's mind against the other, a bargaining tool in the middle of a war. As Merlin's consciousness took a direct hit, Arthur gasped in pain as his shoulder erupted in a fiery pain, causing Claton to laugh in a callous delight. It seemed whatever hit Merlin physically manifested on the prince, hurting them both at the same time.

"_Arthur…"_ Hearing Merlin call to him as he struggled to repel another attack, Arthur snapped his eyes open again as he focused his thoughts on his friend.

"_Arthur… destroy his… argh, repello suus tentatio… destroy his body." _And with that, Merlin was gone, drawn back into the battle within the prince's mind as the two struggled to overcome the other, yet seeming to have reached a stalemate.

Crawling forward on his hands and knees, Arthur found he was having trouble seeing as the battle raged on, instead witnessing the fight as reality became rather hazy. With a sudden, overwhelming, gasp, Arthur felt the pressure build up suddenly: Merlin's consciousness was slowly being sucked under.

"No!" Raising himself upwards, Arthur bought his sword plunging down, straight into Claton's still body. Instantly, there was an explosion of magic within the prince's mind and he felt himself thrown backwards, hitting the steps hard before he knew no more.

"Arthur? Sire? Please, Arthur, give me a sign here. You have to wake up, it's been three days!" Hearing a constant pleading, Arthur slowly cracked his eyes open to find himself looking into Gaius' concerned face. Judging by the comfortable position he was in, the prince was lying on his own bed. Letting his eyes roam around the room, he caught sight of his father standing at the edge of the bed, looking relieved now his son was awake.

"Arthur. What happened?"

Arthur merely gazed at his father nonplussed for a moment, before the memories of the battle came flooding back to him. A quick scan told him he was the only one in his body this time, but had he been quick enough? Merlin had been losing, Claton had overwhelmed them both. Sitting upright in one sudden movement, the prince ignored Gaius' hand.

"Merlin? Where's Merlin? Gaius! Where is he? And Claton, what happened?"

Cutting in quickly before the physician had time to answer, Uther spoke. He was not happy the first thing to come out of his son's mouth was an enquiry about his servant, but nevertheless, he at least seemed to remember the sorcerer.

"Claton's dead, Arthur. I don't know what happened, only I came round to find you lying unconscious on the steps, with his body next to you. You did it, son, you killed Claton." With that, Uther strode from the room. He had other people to question, especially as to why his ward had been found in the dungeons and why Sir Leon was found locked in a broom cupboard, of all places.

"No I didn't," Arthur whispered, frantically searching Gaius' face. "Merlin did it, he stopped him. Gaius, please, where is he?" Feeling his heart clench at the look on the physician's face, Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Where is he, Gaius?"

"He is also still unconscious. Sire, what happened? His injuries are almost identical to yours, aside from a few extra wounds. And the burn has become infected again..."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"I honestly don't know. I don't even know why he hasn't woken up, as you were the only one with the head injury."

"I was?" Arthur asked in surprise, frowning slightly. He didn't remember getting a head injury.

"You must have cracked your head on the steps." Gaius paused in thought as a strange light came into Arthur's eyes. He was never going away again. The second he had arrived back, he had been summoned to the throne room to see nearly everyone come out of trances, Arthur lying motionless on the steps with Claton's dead body next to him. After moving the prince, Gaius had then returned to his own chambers to find Merlin also unconscious on his bedroom floor, with injuries almost identical to those of the prince. The physician had never seen anything like it.

"I have to see him," Arthur whispered, swinging his legs out of bed. Taking a moment to stop the room spinning, Arthur frowned at the disapproving look on Gaius' face. As the physician moved forward, clearly with some intention of forcing Arthur back into bed – it was something he had done many times in the past, after all – Arthur sighed wearily, holding up his hand to stop him.

"Don't try to stop me, Gaius, we've been through too much to take it." The prince's voice was quiet, yet determined at the same time, causing Gaius to pause. Frowning, he let his eyes gaze with some intensity at the prince, trying to work out what it was Arthur was _not _saying. He knew there was something; he had looked after the young prince enough to know when Arthur wasn't being honest. But at the same time, Gaius also knew when no amount of probing could get the man to open up. Eventually nodding, Gaius moved forward, allowing Arthur to grasp onto his forearm and pull himself to his feet. He had noticed the "we" in Arthur's words, and couldn't help but wonder precisely what had been going on.

As Arthur stumbled forward slightly, Gaius immediately resumed his grip, steadying the prince by elbow and receiving a grateful nod for his support. Unfortunately, there was someone else in the room, someone that was not quite as prepared for their son to go walkabouts just to go and see a mere servant.

"Arthur? What are you doing, get back into bed. Let Gaius do his job."

"I'm fine, Sire," Arthur rasped through gritted teeth, inwardly cursing at the fact that he had actually forgotten his father was in the room. Gaius may know it was not a good idea to stop Arthur when he had something fixed in his mind, but Uther did not seem to appreciate it in the same way. It was what had led to so many clashes between the pair of them. And it wasn't as if Arthur could tell the King that he was concerned about his sorcerer of a servant after he was the one that had truly defeated Claton.

"Gaius?"

"He's right, Sire. He will be fine. Besides, I can give him a better examination back at my chambers, especially now he is conscious." With a deep of his head towards the king, Gaius began to lead Arthur out once more. As soon as they were outside the door, Arthur leant a little heavier on the physician, receiving one of the old man's sideways looks as he did so. He knew that Gaius was more than aware that he was far from alright, but considering he had just lied to the king in order to allow Arthur to see Merlin, it wasn't as if he could do anything about it now.

Even with Arthur being disorientated, it didn't take the pair of them long to reach the physician's chambers. Admittedly, the stairs leading up to it took far longer than they should have, but a strange light was soon once again burning in Arthur's eyes. Entering the main chamber, Gaius immediately pulled up a stool, gesturing for the prince to sit down, but Arthur stubbornly shook his head. His eyes were fixed on Merlin's door, and taking a deep breath – almost as if he was trying to will his body to co-operate with him – he pushed away Gaius' hand. Practically sprinting across the room, Arthur ignored the way his head spun ever so slightly as he forced his weary legs up the stairs leading to the servant's room. He could hear Gaius coming after him, but found that he only had eyes for the figure on the floor. As Gaius entered the room behind him, Arthur heard the physician gasp in surprise as Merlin suddenly began to come around himself.

Waiting for a few moments until a slither of blue was present in his eyes, Arthur lowered himself to the floor, slipping one arm around Merlin and nudging his friend into a sitting position. He didn't quite know how to respond to the part of him that felt a rush of relief in seeing the blue in the boy's eyes, rather than the unearthly grey that had appeared whenever Claton tried to take control, or even the gold that was signalling his friend using magic. All of those times he had thought there was something wrong with Merlin, adamant that it must have just been a trick of the light, even when he could tell that Merlin was lying to him. And now he knew. Knew precisely what it was that his servant could do for him, what he could do for the kingdom. If there was anyone that could give magic a good name, it was the lanky servant leaning somewhat shakily against the bed next to him. Running his eyes over the dishevelled appearance of the boy, Arthur could tell that there were indeed carrying exactly the same injuries. In a way, the prince had suspected Merlin would be regaining consciousness. After all, the prince had.

"Arthur?" Merlin croaked; his eyes just about open. Every part of him ached, he felt like he could sleep for about a month. As memories of the battle came flooding back, he involuntarily shuddered at how powerful Claton had been. He had been losing, he was sure of it. Yet he was now back in his own body, in his own room, with not a sorcerer in sight.

"You did it, you idiot. You stopped him. Although remind me never to let you take control of my body again. I've got more bruises now than I ever managed from training!"

"Not my fault," Merlin mumbled, leaning back against the bed further than Arthur thought was actually possible, trying to force his eyes to stay open. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him, and knew it was not just the threat of Claton being removed that made him feel like this.

"Control of your body?" Gaius repeated faintly, looking alarmed. Cracking his eyes open, Merlin glanced towards his mentor in concern when he saw how pale he had gone. As Gaius' legs gave way beneath him, Merlin quickly summoned up a stool and shoved it behind the physician's knees just in time. Glancing sideways, Merlin smiled at Arthur doing his utmost to look unimpressed, studying his nails in the process. It was obvious he was in awe though, yet Merlin was glad he was not showing it; the servant wasn't sure he would know how to react to that.

"My clothes need cleaning, Merlin," Arthur said suddenly with a yawn, climbing to his feet. It was about time things returned to normal.

"And don't you dare use magic to do it."

"Would I?" Merlin asked, pretending to sound offended, watching Gaius' expression out of the corner of his eye.

"Yep." Striding from the room, Arthur smirked at his servant, who poked his tongue out in response.

"Don't worry, Gaius," Arthur called over his shoulder, having finally realised why Gaius was so concerned. "He's safe."

Watching the colour flood back into the physician's face, Merlin decided he couldn't let Arthur have the last word.

"Prat!" he called out of the open doorway. Without missing a beat, Arthur strode from the chambers, sending his reply bouncing back through the room.

"Idiot."

_The end!_

**One last review? Just for me?**


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